Haunting Snape
by FatherSnape
Summary: James Potter appeared after Death to help his son escape from the graveyard the night Voldemort returned. The next time he awoke he discovers the way Harry's treated at the Dursleys and finds himself powerless to help his son. How could he? Harry couldn't see him. No one could. No one except Snape, that is. Oh, this was going to be hell. (No pairings)(Fatherly/Mentor Snape)
1. Apparition

The last thing James Potter remembered was the terror that coursed through his veins realising that Voldemort had found them. He barely had time to reach for his wand before the blast of green turned everything dark. He tried to remember why he hadn't reacted faster. Then he remembered that he'd had Harry's fresh bottle in his hand.

The next time he awoke he knew that it had been a long time. At the same time it felt like all he had done was blink when he appeared at the cemetery. A little boy stood frightened, his wand firing against a snake-like-Voldemort's attack. It took seconds for James to realise this boy, who looked no older than thirteen, was his son. His eyes were unmistakably Lily's and he looked so much like James himself.

He looked at Lily's spirit, standing to the other side of their son and focused on getting their child out of there.

He thought he would once more go to sleep, deep in darkness like before. Yet after Harry escaped safely, he blinked and appeared in a neighbourhood he didn't recognise at first. Then he recognised it all at once.

Lily's sour sister lived in this mundane, muggle street. He looked at the number four and walked toward it. He couldn't feel the ground and looked down to see himself floating. He passed his hand through the nearest flowery bush and watched a breeze move the delicate flowers slightly.

How many years had it been since he last saw Harry? Was he still thirteen-ish? He would go look for him. First though, he had a wretched woman and her fat husband to scare.

He smiled and marched through the door. There was some sort of hubbub of alarmed voices going on through the door. He entered and saw a whale of a man that he identified as Vernon Dursley. The horse-faced woman was unquestionably Petunia and the blubbering blob of grease between them must have been their son.

The muggles didn't see him as he expected.

"Who did this to you, son?" Vernon asked and the boy shakily pointed at a fourth person that James hadn't noticed at first. It was Harry. He still looked the same age. He was short enough to look thirteen.

" _I didn't disappear long."_ James sighed relieved.

"I've had it with you, boy! Look at what you did to my son!" Vernon yelled at Harry who sat meekly, a mixture of apathy in his expression that told James that the boy was in shock as much as the blubbering idiot. A quiet, frozen kind of shock, instead of the mess his cousin was in.

" _Don't let him speak to you that way, Harry!"_ James exclaimed, glaring at Vernon. Despite his words, his son didn't reply to Vernon. He just sat there and James turned slowly. He was a ghost. Surely Harry could see him? _"Harry? Can you see me?"_ But Harry didn't make any indication that he saw him at all.

Before he could approach the boy, an owl swooped into the muggle living room, screeching at the sight of the apparition and crashing up into the ceiling to avoid him. James sighed with relief. At least he knew he was actually there.

A letter opened up perplexing the muggles even more. James watched Harry's expression as the letter declared that he had been expelled from Hogwarts. He wanted more than anything to give him a hug and promise him it would all be alright. That he would sort something out. But he couldn't. He was a ghost and Harry couldn't see or hear him. There was no comfort to be offered to Harry from anywhere. Not even his mother's family.

"Finally, justice. No more freaky little lessons or freaky little friends." The whale of a man declared and came closer to his son, which made James bristle in anger. "More importantly," He laughed in a mocking and cruel manner, not caring about Harry's feelings, which were partly showing on his face. "Perhaps you can learn to be a normal, upstanding member of society."

"As if. That thing will always be a little _freak_." Petunia hissed and James glared at her hatefully.

" _How dare you call my boy such things! You're the freak with that horrid horse face!"_ He yelled to no avail as the muggle whale grabbed Harry roughly by his hair and dragged him across the house, up the stairs. _"Don't you bloody touch him! Harry! Blast him back!"_ James yelled. Vernon simply threw Harry into a room and locked the five locks on the door.

"You better hope Dudley is alright, boy. Or I'll make sure you get thrown into a mental institution, where they'll keep you drugged up enough to drool the rest of your freakish life away."

With those comforting words his baby boy was left alone. The muggles left and Harry stood in the middle of the room, his breathing picking up as he clenched his hands into fists and shook slightly trying not to cry. He expertly stopped and instead turned his angry fists to his cupboard, hitting it hard and kicking it once before collapsing back onto the bed. Something about the way he stopped those tears reminded him of someone he couldn't quite put a name or face to.

How could this happen? How could his son be bullied like this by his own family? Why was he left with muggles? What happened? What could he do? He couldn't let this go on. He didn't entirely believe that the muggle was joking about sending his son into a mental institute. He'd seen what muggles call those places and he shuddered thinking his son could be sent there.

Where was Sirius? Why was Harry left abandoned in the summer with these people?

He had to go find Dumbledore. Surely Dumbledore could see him. Dumbledore was far more powerful than anyone he'd known. But how was he supposed to make his way to Hogwarts all by himself? He couldn't apparate and he wasn't exactly sure where he was. Maybe if he stayed with Harry, eventually Dumbledore would come. There was no way the powerful wizard would leave Harry unattended. Dumbledore must know Voldemort was alive and after Harry.

He would stay put. He would not blink again until he was sure he spoke to Dumbledore.

oOoOoOo

Harry paced around his room trying to think through this whole mess. He couldn't… couldn't be expelled. Not now, not with Voldemort back. He'd be killed.

He shuddered remembering the pain of the knife cutting his forearm, the terror coursing through his veins, the guilt at Cedric's dead body and the grief-stricken cries of the Hufflepuff's father.

Going to sleep didn't help. The second he did the memories turned even more vivid in the form of his dreams. He jumped awake as Voldemort's new form appeared in his dreams and sat up, heart racing wildly in his chest, which slowly calmed at the realisation that it was only a dream.

He sat up and rubbed his face with his hands. It didn't help that he hadn't heard a single thing from his friends. His trusted friends wouldn't even write to him the one summer he needed them the most. He'd wanted to talk to them, about his nightmares, his fears, his guilt. But they didn't even send a letter worth reading.

All they sent sounded mechanical and almost identical. It put him off telling them anything at all.

A thud was heard from downstairs. He flinched and looked at the door, his blood freezing in his veins. Deatheaters? He reached for his wand and stood.

The locks on his door clicked as they opened. Finally the door began to swing open and Harry prepared the first spell that came to his mind. The light of a lumos blinded him momentarily before he saw the aurors enter the room.

oOoOoOo

James cheered victoriously as the aurors of the Order gathered his boy and delivered him to Grimmauld place.

" _I knew Dumbledore wouldn't leave you there, son."_ James said to Harry, staying by his side the whole time. None of the other aurors could see him but he just knew Dumbledore would be able to.

oOoOoOo

Harry felt a weight lift off his shoulders as he saw his godfather's home appear from between two fancy upper-class muggle homes. He tried to hide the glee at finally being with his true family. Even with the house in tatters, Sirius was here, sitting at a dinning desk. The chatter stopped as Sirius looked up. Harry was ready to march forward when Mrs. Weasley appeared and shut the door.

"Harry. You're alright." She stretched her arms out and wrapped him in those scorching hugs that left him unsure of what to do. In the end he wrapped his arms around her and gave her a slight hug, letting go when she pulled back. "Now dear, why don't you wait for us upstairs, dinner will be ready in a little while. Go ahead, go on."

Harry looked hesitant but finally followed her directions. When he looked up to see his friends were both here and had been for a long time, he felt irritation grow.

oOoOoOo

James missed this interaction. He had swooped into the room the second Harry entered the house.

" _Padfoot! Moony! You're both here! You have to tell me what's happening! Why was Harry with Lily's horrid family? You're his godfather Padfoot!"_ James demanded.

Moony glanced at Padfoot who shared an uncertain glance as they looked to the closed door where Harry had been stopped.

"I understand your worries Sirius, but there's no need to be rash." Dumbledore spoke at the head of the table, ignoring Harry's arrival, ignoring James' questions.

" _Professor Dumbledore! You have to tell me what in Merlin's name is going on!"_ James demanded.

The headmaster kept looking through him to his friends. Sirius shook his head and leaned back on the chair in frustration. No one could see him. He looked around the table to see no one looking at him. No one.

"What do you think, Severus?" Dumbledore asked and James turned to the corner of the room, shocked to see the slimy Slytherin standing in the corner of the room, almost blending into the shadows. He hadn't noticed him at first. But there was no mistake. It was Snivellus. "Severus?"

Snape was looking straight at him, half-finished cup of tea in mid-air, frozen. James' eyes widened as did Snape's.

" _You can see me!"_

"Snape." Moony asked and Snape seemed to snap out of shock and glared at Sirius.

"Prey tell, Black, what ingenious idea you have? Rush in and attack blindly? The Dark Lord will strike you down in seconds." Snape hissed.

" _Snape! What are you doing here? Spying for your Lord?"_ James snapped hatefully. Snape visibly tensed and glanced at him before back at the living beings in the room.

"For a start I think Harry should be informed of what is happening." Sirius said.

"Unacceptable Sirius, he's only a child." Molly Weasley said.

"And he's braver than many grown aurors I've met." Sirius defended. James beamed with pride. His son, a brave young warrior, he couldn't be more proud! The smile slowly dropped away from James' face as he recalled Harry's terrified expression in the graveyard.

"He's not James, Sirius!" Molly Weasley insisted. Sirius rolled his eyes.

"Well he's not _your_ son."

"He's as good as! Who else has he got?"

"He's got _me_!" Sirius insisted, his voice creeping up to which Moony gave him a look so he would remember that they were being quiet for the sake of the teens above.

James nodded. Sirius was there for Harry. He just knew it.

"How touchingly _paternal_ , Black. Perhaps Potter can grow up to be a felon, just like his godfather." Snape hissed and James turned to glare at him.

" _Shut up, Snivellus!_ "

"You stay out of this, _Snivellus_!" Sirius hissed.

At this Snape seemed to have enough and smirked that annoying smirk he always showed them in school. That stupid 'you're all idiots and I'm oh-so-smart' smirk he used to throw around all the time.

"Well isn't _this_ awfully nostalgic." Snape addressed James instead of Padfoot who seemed to have too much to say to notice Snape wasn't speaking to him.

James' eyes widened as it slowly began to dawn on him that it didn't matter what he felt for the Slytherin. It was becoming more and more evident by the minute that Snape may be the only one that could help him. The thought filled him with horror and stared at the rest of the argument between his best friend and worst school enemy in shocked silence.


	2. Life Debt

Harry just about saw Snape storming out of the house, hissing something along the lines of 'stop following me!' to no one in particular, as he made his way down the stairs. It was a little strange but Harry felt the air become a little lighter as the bitter potions master left the house.

Then he turned as the twins scared their mother, Ron squeezed past to get to the meal and everyone else turned their attention on him. Harry could practically feel it. The pity. It made him feel heavy all over again. As if he had to copy their strained smiles and pretend everything was alright when all he wanted to do was punch a wall and demand why Dumbledore asked him to be kept in the dark for the first half of his, as usual, miserable summer.

The feeling quickly went away when he saw Sirius open his arms to him.

"Sirius." He smiled and stormed forward, accepting that hug he'd always craved as a child. For the first time since Cedric's death and seeing his parents in the graveyard, he felt a spark of happiness.

oOoOoOo

"I told you to stop following me, Potter!" Severus yelled without looking at the hovering apparition glued to his side.

" _I won't! You're the only one that can see and hear me! You're the only one that can help me!_ "

Severus crossed the street and released a bitter laugh, ignoring the look of alarm from a woman who crossed his path as he continued talking to what he knew was thin air in her eyes.

"Hah! I would rather die and haunt Sirius _Black_ for all eternity than help you!" He yelled and took out his wand in the secluded street, apparating away.

He sighed with relief as he re-appeared in Cokeworth, the gloomy streets quiet at this time of night. Just what in the seven hells was that? What had just happened? Why on earth was James Potter back from the dead? Ghosts materialise at the point of death, _not_ decades later.

' _Pop!'_

Severus turned with his wand pointed and his eyes widened as he saw Potter's translucent form looking at himself in just as much surprise as Severus felt.

" _Nice reflexes, Snape."_ He said.

"Ghosts can't apparate! What on earth are you?" Severus demanded, keeping his wand pointed at the ghostly form of the Gryffindor he detested.

" _I have no idea what is happening, Snape! I wasn't able to before, although I'm glad I still can! You were just going to leave me there?"_

"Yes." Severus said coldly and turned to continue his way home. What the _hell_ was happening? Potter annoyingly continued to hover by his side.

" _This is where Lily grew up. Gah, what a ghastly place. You still live in this dump? Even her wicked sister had the sense to move away."_ James criticized and Severus tensed realising that this bastard was about to come into his house and see the shadows in the very walls that reminded Severus of the many times his father had knocked him or his mother against the walls.

"I've had enough, Potter!" He glared. "Leave me alone! Go figure out this well deserved purgatory somewhere else!" He yelled and unlocked his door, slamming it on the Gryffindor's face when he tried to follow. It went right through him but there was something satisfying about seeing the bastard flinch and try to cover his face thinking he was about to feel pain.

" _Well deserved? I died saving my son from a lunatic that_ you _served!"_

Severus flinched at that and every dark spell he knew crossed his mind, wishing he could inflict all his more creative inventions on his school tormentor.

"You _died_ because you idiots, yes, you and _Black_! You two idiots decided to change secret keeper and trust Pettigrew! Well Pettigrew squealed like a pig and told the Dark Lord exactly where you and…" He had to stop for a second, his breath catching in his throat, surprising him momentarily. It was enough of a pause for Potter to interject.

" _No, Peter? He would never, I… he was my friend!"_

"Lily was _my_ friend! You got her killed! You pulled her into your stupid righteous fight and then you decided to have a child in the middle of a war! Then you couldn't even protect her right!" Severus yelled, finally saying all the words he'd wanted to yell to the bastard after all these years. He didn't even bother thinking about whether what he was saying was rational or not. He just wanted to hurt him. He wanted to see him hurt and suffer and grieve as Severus had grieved.

" _We were young, Snape! Twenty years old, it was a war! We didn't know whether we were going to make it and well…!"_

"Oh Merlin, spare me the details, Potter!" Severus yelled. "You were supposed to protect her! And yet you ended up dead on the staircase without even your wand in your hand." He sneered in disgust.

Potter seemed to have enough of being accused and turned the tables on him. _"And where were you in all of this, Snivellus? You say she was your friend and you were only too glad when she turned her back on you. You also turned your back on her and went in to join_ his _side. A side that wanted to destroy witches like Lily!"_

"And leaving that boy to a godfather like Black? That was stellar thinking there. That buffoon got himself locked in Azkaban, getting framed for Pettigrew's crimes who went off to live freely as a rat for twelve years!"

" _And where were_ you _!"_ Potter yelled, refusing to change the subject. He looked to be breathing hard, even though he wasn't even alive.

"I was doing everything I could to protect Lily… I changed sides when I found out he was after her. Dumbledore promised he would…"

" _Keep us safe? Yes, he did say that."_ Potter said, starting to calm down. Severus only glared harder at him. _"Look… Snape, all of that… happened more than ten years ago… right? How long has it been? How old is Harry?"_

Severus clenched his jaw at first but then decided to take pity on the pathetic apparition. "He is turning fifteen in a few days." He said.

" _Fourteen years… no impossible, he looks so small."_ James looked away, a pained expression in his eyes and Severus found himself smirking. _"Snape… wipe that grin off your face. I need your help. Don't make me beg."_

Severus felt genuine glee at those words and decided to ignore him instead, turning to sort out his things at home, ignoring the ghost's persistence to get his attention for the rest of the afternoon.

oOoOoOo

" _Snivellus, Snivellus, Snivellus, hey, Snivellus."_ Snape gripped the newspaper harder but refused to look up and ignored the headache threatening to form at the base of his temples. _"Lily taught me this peculiar song about bottles on a wall. I swear in Merlin's name that if you don't talk to me, I_ will _start singing it."_

Severus was filled with anger and horror and slammed the newspaper down. "What do you want from me? What could you possibly have left to torment me with?"

" _You're so dramatic! I'm not trying to torment you. I'm trying to help my son! I need you to help me keep him safe."_

Severus actually gave a laugh at that but refused to admit his vow to Dumbledore. "Your son? Your precious little brat is the talk of the wizarding world. A real hero. The-boy-who-lived. And as of this summer, The-boy-who-lied." He turned the newspaper onto the front page, showing the news article. Potter looked at it and read the article, looking angrier with each sentence.

Severus ignored him and made himself a strong tea while the ghost read the stupid article.

" _How dare they? After he went through all that and warns everyone about the threat?"_ Potter demanded and Severus ignored him again. Maybe if the other went off on a rant he would be able to drown him out by occluding and focussing on something else. _"He's not a hero, he's a child, Snape, I need you to help me. Those_ muggles _he was left with… they are cruel to him, you have to help me to-"_

" _Enough,_ Potter! I don't _care_ that your brat isn't as spoiled and pampered as you. So he has a few more chores to do here and there, maybe that will teach him _responsibility_! Something you always lacked."

" _Chores? So you have heard things then?"_ Potter asked softly and the room seemed to get colder but Severus refused to let it show.

"I know he complained to the headmaster on first year, saying he didn't want to go back. Apparently they make him help out in the house. After learning of his fame he probably didn't want to go back to that." Severus scoffed in disgust. The air got even colder and he glared at the ghost. He refused to submit to whatever strange creature James Potter had become, able to manipulate his surroundings like this.

" _I want you to find out exactly what they made him do. I want to know every detail of his childhood."_

"Not bloody likely. Potter is a disrespectful and condescending little brat and I refuse to entertain his whining!" He grabbed his wand as he began to see his breath every time he exhaled. Potter would have pounced on him then if he could. He just knew it.

" _You owe me."_

"Excuse me?" Severus said just above a whisper.

" _You owe me a life debt!"_

"I don-" Severus felt the words catch in his throat. He didn't owe him a thing! No! He repaid that debt when he asked Dumbledore to protect Lily and her family. And Potter was dead! No! This wasn't valid!

Potter glared him down and Severus felt himself shaking in rage. _"You know this."_

"Because your stupid friends tried to kill me! And don't even try to pretend you did it because you _matured_ as every other idiot seemed to believe. You did it because you wanted to show off your heroics to Lily!"

" _What does it matter why I did it? I saved you either way!"_

Severus swore to himself to find exactly how to vanish the bastard back into the afterlife as soon as he could. He would not stand for this humiliation. Not after everything he was doing for this bastard's son.

" _You_ will _help me, Snape. Make no mistake about that."_


	3. Happy Birthday

" _Snape, wake up. Oi, Snivellus."_ Severus clenched his jaw tight and opened his eyes to see James-forsaken-Potter, kneeling by his side of the bed, staring intensely at him with a blank hollow stare that reminded Severus of the day he walked past his corpse so many Halloweens ago. Then, like a cat, his eyes seemed to focus once more after seeing him awake, reminding Severus that it was indeed a ghost haunting him and not just a see through version of a living and breathing James Potter.

His stupid face still annoyed him though. He grabbed the newspaper, which he'd left on his nightstand the night before and threw it through him.

"Leave me alone." He grumbled, turning his back to him.

" _Wake up, Snape. It's Harry's birthday. I want you to go and see him and take him a present from me."_

The command was so preposterous, so ridiculous that Severus found himself releasing a dry laugh. It seemed to happen more and more regularly the more the demented Gryffindor decided to speak.

"What part of I loathe your spawn is too hard for you to comprehend? He's just as cocky and disrespectful as you." Severus said, standing up. Might as well wake up now.

" _It's the second birthday I get to enjoy with my son and I_ will _enjoy it with him. I refuse to spend it with you."_ Potter said.

Severus scoffed as he entered the bathroom to get ready for the day. He froze as Potter entered through the door.

"Get the hell out." He demanded.

" _It's not like you've anything I haven't seen before."_

The blind rage that coursed through Severus led him to grab his mother's empty potpourri dish sitting by the sink and throw it at his head. Potter still flinched, especially as the dish shattered behind him when it hit the door.

"You think that was funny?!"

" _Come on, Snivellus, it was a joke."_

"A joke?! You humiliated me in front of everyone!"

" _Hey! You invented the Levicorpus. You were the one who used it on me first."_

" _I_ didn't pull your trousers off in front of everyone and _you_ were about to gang up on me with that bastard Black attached to your hip." He hissed hatefully.

" _It wasn't such a big deal! It was funny, you dangling by your heels, you did much worse by calling Lily what you did and ruining the fun."_

"I knew it. I knew all Dumbledore said about you maturing was trash. You're actually trying to pin this on me? I was humiliated! I was angry, I was desperate to get away from there and I lashed out at Lily, I lost _everything_ that day! My only friend! The only joy I had _left_! And to top it all off she went and ended up falling for a despicable sack of-" He needed to calm down, he clenched his hands tight. He repeated the only words that grounded him whenever he started thinking of what could have been. Whenever he dared to think that he had deserved anything but what he got.

" _Not meeting that redhead this summer? Probably got herself someone better. Did you think someone like that would care for a lanky son of a bitch like you?"_

" _You're not a man."_

" _You're an embarrassment of a son."_

The laughter of that man haunted Severus' memory as if he was standing right in front of him, right across his mother's freshly covered grave. The summer after he and Lily stopped talking to each other. Tobias had been right.

Lily never would have loved him back. How could someone so bright and pure learn to love him the way he had grown to adore her?

oOoOoOo

James watched Snape in interest as the rage melted away to a blank expression, the glimmer of humidity vanishing from his dark eyes. That's when it hit him. Harry had halted his tears just the same way that Snape did just now.

"Enough." Snape said coldly. "Get out."

" _Harry's birthday?"_

"Fine. I'll help you get that stupid brat something and my debt will be repaid. Yes?" Snape said, narrowing his eyes at him.

" _Maybe? I don't know how these life debts work."_ James shrugged. He had no idea if that was even why he had been brought back.

"Get out." This time James obliged, fading back through the door. Snape looked exhausted already even though he'd only just woken up.

oOoOoOo

Severus gripped the edges of the sink trying to contain the humiliation and anger he felt threatening to break through his occlumency shields.

How the hell was he supposed to get out of this one? The only comfort he had was that no one else could see the bastard. It also left him with an even bigger curse. Having to put up with James Potter's taunting all on his own.

He hated him. He hated him so much. He wished him far worse than death at this very moment. For him and for Black. He could still remember Dumbledore's 'boys-will-be-boys' speech and it sent his skin crawling. Saint Potter, how wonderful how he saved Severus' life. Severus should have been grateful to Potter, not demanding his expulsion as well.

Severus remembered feeling _some_ shred of hope that finally they had gone far enough. They had almost gotten him mauled by a werewolf! He thought for once… he could get a year without Potter and maybe he and Lily could have gone back to at the very least being friends.

That hadn't been the case.

" _Snivellus, hurry up! I'm not getting any younger out here."_ James Potter laughed at his own joke and Severus rolled his eyes and hurried through his tasks.

oOoOoOo

Severus felt his eyebrow twitch as he stared at the quidditch store from the outside.

"I refuse to step foot in there." Severus said.

" _Come on, you told me Harry plays quidditch. I want you to buy him the best broom on the market."_ James Potter demanded.

"And you expect me to do this with my own money? Besides, Black already bought him the fastest broom on the market." Severus said.

" _Fine. You know him better than I do, what would he like?"_

"I don't _know_ him." Severus defended himself. What did he know about Harry Potter? That he was rude, cocky, hopeless at potions, and had the self-preservation instincts of a spoon. "He's not great at Potions. Get him a book on it."

" _Ugh! No! I'm not giving my son a book!"_

" _You're_ not giving it to him because you're dead and invisible. If I gave him _anything_ he'd think it was an attempt at killing him." Severus scoffed.

" _Why don't you just tell him you're a spy for the order?"_ Potter asked and after a pause began to laugh again. The other found it hilarious when Severus said he was a spy for Dumbledore.

"Because he's only a fifteen year old brat that has no business hearing what the Order is doing." Severus said, annoyed that he idiot was just as thick as Black when it came to Potter Jr.

" _Fine, lets go to Potter manor, you can give him my signet ring."_

Severus followed the apparition in frustration. "How exactly am I supposed to explain to him how I got _your_ signet ring. He already knows I despise you."

" _You're the Slytherin, you figure it out."_

oOoOoOo

Severus tried to ignore the dread building up as he walked into Grimmauld place.

He held the box bearing the Potter crest in his hand and glared at the decrepit house as the echoes of laughing teenagers filled the halls.

He turned tail to run and froze, his heart giving a skip as Potter was standing so close.

" _Don't you even consider running away, Snivellus."_

Severus glared hatefully and the house fell very silent. Both turned to look, seeing the kitchen door open, Ron Weasley looking at him horrified.

oOoOoOo

The small celebration was more than Harry every dreamed of as a child. Fred and George's prototype jokes were fluttering about adding to the fun.

Harry laughed as a pair of flying lion charms swept after Ron, threatening to pop in a tenacious red paint that gripped onto your clothes. In an attempt to escape, Ron made to run out of the kitchen but froze, the lions peppering Ron's back in two neat red blotches. Ron still didn't react.

"What is it, Ron?" Harry asked, and came to see Snape slowly turning towards them, sensing the moment all of them fell silent.

"Mr. Potter, I must speak with you." Snape asked. Harry looked at him confused.

What the heck had he done now? If Snape had a choice he would never willingly choose to come and visit Harry over the summer. Had Dumbledore sent him?

"Severus, what a surprise!" Mrs. Weasley said, coming to greet the man. Snape merely nodded at her.

"A word, Mr. Potter." Snape repeated and went into the sitting room. Harry felt a strange breeze almost nudge him forward and followed the dungeon bat to the room.

Snape was holding a polished wooden box with a crest carved on the top.

"I was tasked with giving this to you on your birthday." Snape said as if he had also been tasked to bite into a sour lemon just before coming in.

"What is it?" Harry asked with a frown.

oOoOoOo

" _I can't do this! I changed my mind. I want you to tell him Snape. Tell him I'm here!"_ Potter snapped, getting agitated just from seeing his spawn's green eyes look at the box in confusion.

"This is the crest of the Potter family. The box contains your father's signet ring."

" _Snape! I order you to tell him!"_

"I'm _not_ your servant!" Severus hissed at him and froze as he turned to the boy who looked at him slightly concerned.

"Um… what?"

"Nothing, Potter. Here, take it, for your fifteenth summer." He said handing it to the boy who looked at it curiously before opening it. The golden ring was ostentatious by design and Severus found himself grimacing. To his surprise the boy grimaced too.

"My father used to wear _this_?" He asked holding it up to the light of the fireplace.

" _What's wrong with it?"_ Potter complained.

"Only after he turned seventeen. It's given to the Potter heir once he turns of age. But, well, he wanted you to have it now."

The boy looked up at him confused. "How do you know? Why do you have it?"

" _Tell him the truth, Snape."_ Severus couldn't possibly tell him. How do you tell a fifteen-year-old brat that his father was an apparition that only his most hated teacher could see? The silence stretched and Severus found himself uncertain in what to say.

Suddenly Black swooped into the room, standing tall and proud and arrogant. "I can't say it's nice to see you _Severus_. To what do we owe the displeasure?" Black said, wrapping an arm around the boy's shoulders, leaning slightly into him the way he used to do with Potter. James would have copied the motion and lean also into Black. The boy was not James and simply took the added weight to his shoulder while staring at his father's ring. Black's eyes widened when he noticed the ring and snatched it from the boy's fingers.

"Where did you get this, Harry?" He asked.

"Snape brought it to me." The boy said and glanced at him. Severus turned his back to them.

"I'll be on my way."

" _What? No! I want to stay for the party!"_ Potter whined.

"Hold it Snape! How did you get this? This is James' ring!" Black stormed toward him and Severus got ready to grab his wand if needed be.

" _Calm down Sirius, I want him to have it."_ James said proudly.

"Potter wanted him to have it." Was all Severus said.

"How in Merlin's name would a DeathEater like you know about what James would want?"

"Watch it, _Black_." Severus hissed, glaring at the bastard.

"Sirius, I want it back." The boy said. Severus turned to look at the boy somehow surprised to see James Potter looking at every move he made instead of admiring the fight blossoming between Black and Severus.

"I need to have it checked over first, Harry, make sure he didn't curse it." Black hissed.

"You're already touching it, fool. If it had been cursed you would have already felt it." Severus hissed back. Black glared harder, his jaw tense as if holding back a curse or two.

"Sirius, please?" The boy insisted and Black obliged, returning the ring to him.

"It doesn't matter, Harry. You can't put it on until the inheritance spell is spoken and James took that to his grave, unfortunately." Black said. Severus narrowed his eyes at James whose eyes widened in realisation. The brat frowned and looked over his shoulder, looking for what Severus was looking at but not really seeing.

"I'll take my leave." Severus had to get out of there, before the not-so-stupid boy figured out what was happening.

He managed to open the door before the brat came after him. "Um… professor Snape? Thanks?" His gaze was still suspicious, as if he was hoping Severus would confess to the strange gift and why he had it.

Severus turned him round and pushed him lightly back into the house. "What part of ' _hide-out_ ' it too complicated, Potter? Get back in there."

oOoOoOo

Harry watched the Potions Master shut the door in annoyance and looked back down at the signet ring. He tried putting it on but it just seemed too small, no matter what finger he tried it on. He sighed with relief. Now he had an excuse not to wear it. He couldn't imagine himself walking up and down the Hogwarts halls wearing something so flashy. It was more something a prat like Malfoy would do.

He placed the ring back into the box and left himself get dragged back to the kitchen to get to the cake. Still, he couldn't shake the thought that Snape was acting very strangely. Voldemort returns and now Snape's giving him a birthday present? There was definitely a story behind this ring and Harry wasn't going to let it go so easily.


	4. Loyalties

James followed Snape in anger.

" _Why are we leaving? I wanted to stay and watch him turn fifteen!"_ He complained.

"I've had enough of your games James Potter. I've helped you give your son a birthday gift. Now go rest in pieces." Snape said. James rolled his eyes.

" _As if I'm going to be satisfied with that! I'm here for a reason! I'm not leaving until that reason is fulfilled."_

"Then tell me so I can get rid of you already!" Severus yelled.

" _I don't know!"_

Snape looked about ready to throw something else at him as he apparated. James closed his eyes and followed the other's magic. Again, it worked. He appeared back in Cokeworth, following the Slytherin.

" _Maybe if you just told him about me, explain that I'm here to help him, it might help."_

Snape stopped and turned toward him. "Do you ever stop and think your plans through, Potter?" He demanded. "You want me to tell Potter that you've come back from the dead? That you're there for him?"

" _Why are you saying it like that? I_ am _here for him!"_

"Get it through your thick skull! You are _dead_! How could you possibly be there for him? You aren't even there for him now because you can't interact with him! You can't protect him from an attack, from torture or from his own emotions when eventually you vanish into oblivion. Some father."

" _Hey, my father wasn't always around either. I turned out fine."_ James defended himself.

"You and Black were psychopaths in training. You deluded yourself into thinking you were a hero and you joined a fight you should have stayed the hell out of and got your wife killed." Snape hissed.

" _You don't know anything Snape! I joined the aurors because I wanted to bring down dark witches and wizards. That monster began torturing half-bloods and muggle-borns. What did you think they would do to Lily?"_ James argued.

Snape seemed to finally have the sense to shut the hell up and cease arguing with him but instead chose to ignore him as he stormed off.

" _Look, I'm sorry."_

Snape laughed once more. "No you're not! You never were!"

" _Damnit Snape! What do you want from me?"_

"Well! Since you're the one asking. I want one simple thing. Leave me the hell alone. Go back to hell. I have enough to be worrying about in this upcoming war without having to add _you_ to the equation." The hate in Snape's voice riled that sadistic streak James always felt when the bastard ever crossed his path in Hogwarts.

It didn't make sense, Lily, being friends with a Slytherin like him. But she wouldn't listen. He liked to pick on her at first to draw her attention, but instead she chose to always spend her time with Snape. So of course James picked on Snape more. But the bastard was too smart and would retaliate, sometimes with jinxes and curses he would make up. Who the hell does that as a first year?

The embarrassment with each defeat simply drove him to push and push with Snape and before long they were at each other's throats every week of every year. Of course Snape mostly lost, even with all his brains he never could outsmart the four of them. Once they finished the Marauder's map, it was almost like child's play.

It didn't matter though, because Snape was evil. He always was. He proved him right when he joined Voldemort and only then did Lily finally believe everything James had said.

" _Why are you spying for Dumbledore?"_ James asked instead. It didn't make sense. Why would the slimy, evil Slytherin join the Order of the Phoenix. The intensity in Snape's eyes always unnerved him and still did.

"Because he killed the only person left in my life that mattered."

" _What did you care? Lily wanted nothing to do with you by then."_

The pause before Snape turned and left said it all. James followed after him.

" _Really? After all that time, you still had a crush on Lily?"_

"A _crush_? I didn't have a _crush_ on Lily. I _loved_ Lily. She was everything to me! She was the only source of happiness in my life since she entered it! To you she was just another game. Tell me I'm wrong!"

James' hands clenched into fists. _"You're wrong! I really liked Lily, she was smart and funny, but she had a shitty taste in friends. When she finally gave me a chance I grew to love her more than anything! You think I should regret marrying her? I never will."_

That seemed to hit a sore spot in the slimy bastard who turned and continued his way home. "Find yourself someone else to help you. I'm done with this."

Crap. He couldn't do this without him. His mind instantly went to the threat Petunia's family put on the boy. He couldn't _wait_ to see if they were bluffing or not.

" _Alright, alright, stop, Snape. This isn't about me anymore!"_ Snape continued to ignore him as he entered his home. _"Look, you're right! I'm dead, but Harry is very much alive. I need to help him but you're the only one that can see me. I have no choice but to ask for your help, and I need it."_

"You see, the magic of what you just said is that _I_ don't need _your_ help. _I_ don't need _you_. So go away. Agh-!" Snape gripped his forearm, doubling over in pain.

" _Snape! What's happening? Don't die, idiot! You're the only one that can help me!"_

"I'm not dying, you bloody fool! Just shut up, whatever you do now, be aware of the situation and let me concentrate." Snape said gravely and used the fireplace to floo out of there. James closed his eyes, once more feeling the trace of the other's magic. When he opened them once more, Snape was walking down a hallway, in a decrepit building he didn't recognise.

There must have been a chill in the air because Snape shuddered and pulled his robes tighter against his own body. James followed closely, keeping quiet, trying to assess the situation. The closer they got, the more cloaked individuals that joined them.

Suddenly James felt very self-conscious. What if one of these wizards could see him? He didn't have to think too hard to figure out who had summoned Snape. What if _he_ was powerful enough to see him? If he got Snape killed his only communication link to Harry would be gone.

"My loyal DeathEaters." James did feel a ghostly chill then. Not real, but real to his own mind, much like breathing hard when angry even though he didn't need to breathe. Too late to float away now.

Snape knelt before the Dark Lord, much like everyone else. James hovered frozen, staring at the monster before him. The monster that had killed him. The monster that had killed his beloved Lily. The monster that had tried to kill their son and subjected him to a lifetime of a hateful and loveless home.

"Severus, come forward."

James gazed at Snape in worry. _Please don't kill him._ Damnit, it was so strange to think those words when it came to Snape.

"Yes, my Lord?"

"Lucius tells me that Harry Potter is due to attend a hearing to see if he is to be expelled or not. Surely, spying on Dumbledore, you must have known this?"

James froze and glared at Snape. _"You bastard! You've been spying for him all along!"_

"I did my Lord. He is staying in a safe-house of the Order, under a Fidelius charm."

" _Stop telling him! I'll kill you, Snape! I swear it!"_

Snape seemed to clench his jaw and glared at him for a brief second. It was enough for the Dark Lord to notice.

"Is something the matter, Severus?" The Dark Lord asked. "Are you upset by my questioning?"

"Not at all, my Lord. I'm merely frustrated with myself for being unable to give you the boy's exact location."

"Oh, I know the boy's exact location."

Snape didn't react but James almost felt like his heart would have stopped if it had still been beating.

"Would you like me to prepare an attack, my Lord?" Snape asked instead and James would have killed him then. Almost as if he had been testing Snape, the Dark Lord said nothing.

"The boy will have his hearing. I want to understand what kind of games the ministry is playing. Then I'll decide what to do."

"Yes, my Lord." Snape bowed.

"I want a detailed report, Severus."

"Yes, sir."

" _Lap dog."_ James hissed out.

"And so that you don't forget." The Dark Lord raised his wand and pointed it at Snape who made no move to defend himself. "Crucio!"

The spell struck him straight into the chest and the Slytherin dropped to his knees, tense, his whole body shaking from the pain. No screams left his lips, though, only a whine but still pathetic enough to remind James of how torturous the curse could be. James frowned, conflicted. On the one hand, Snape had it coming, right? But if that were true why not tell Voldemort more? Why not tell him about Potter manor? About James? Details about Harry's home life, which James had briefly touched upon when he started following the Slytherin?

After what seemed an eternity, Voldemort ceased his attack and Snape returned to his kneeling position, still visibly shaking from the after effects of the crucio.

"I won't forget, my Lord." Snape managed to say. None of the other Deatheaters made a single sound and soon they were sent away.

" _That was…"_

Snape ignored him as got out of there and made his way to Dumbledore's office. James followed him closely, ignored every time he tried to speak to the Slytherin.

"Are you alright?" Dumbledore asked.

"I'm fine." Snape lied. He had to be lying. A crucio was a crucio, no matter how much you tried to pretend it wasn't. "He said he knew exactly where Potter was. How is that possible?"

"It's not, my boy. I believe he might have been testing you for a reaction. He also may know exactly where he _will_ be when the hearing takes place."

"I trust you will ensure he goes well guarded." Snape said.

"Of course, Severus. I will personally be there to defend Harry."

" _Who else is going to be there? Who'll support Harry?"_ James asked. _"Snape, you need to go, you need to see what's going to happen."_ There was a pause as Snape seemed to ponder his words.

"Perhaps it would be a good idea if I go. The Dark Lord wants a full report. It may be easier to decide what would be good to say if I was there as well." Snape said and James nodded.

"I think that would be appropriate." Dumbledore agreed. "Make sure you stay close to Harry. I don't trust Fudge not to try something to get his way."

With that, the meeting was over and finally, Snape returned to his home.

" _Snape, what happened for Harry to get in trouble with the Ministry?"_ He asked.

"What? I'm no longer a lap dog?" Snape countered, but the fight seemed to have been drained from him. "The boy used a patronus charm in front of his muggle cousin when two dementors attacked him." He seemed exhausted.

" _He can do a patronus?"_ He said proudly and Snape narrowed his eyes at him. _"I'm sorry about the dog thing, it just looked like you were telling him too much!"_

"I always agree with the headmaster on how much to tell him. It's how I ensure the Dark Lord sees me as useful instead of disposable!" He snapped.

" _Fine, I was stupid to distract you. Sorry."_ James finally admitted.

"Don't worry yourself about it, Potter. It's not the first time I've been crucioed and it won't be the last." Snape said.

" _Isn't there another way you can help? Why do you have to sneak around and spy? Why not become a proper auror?"_

"I don't _want_ to become an auror. An auror doesn't get insider information on the Dark Lord's plans. An auror works for the ministry which is likely to end up under the Dark Lord's control fairly soon." Snape rummaged through his kitchen, getting ready to make himself something to eat. "If you weren't such a half-wit you would realise that."

" _But you're getting tortured."_

"What does that matter?" Snape scoffed. James gulped.

" _Did we mess you up that much that you're fine with this?"_ Snape turned, the fire burning in his eyes once more.

"This has nothing to do with you! I'm doing this to keep that boy safe!" Snape's eyes widened. "For Lily! Doing this for Lily!" His hands shook from the crucio's after effects still. "Damnit!" He threw the unfinished sandwich into the sink and stormed past him, locking himself in his room. Not that the lock could keep James out but the ghost didn't follow.

James hovered just above the ground, staring at the narrow staircase where Snape disappeared.

Maybe he'd misjudged the Slytherin. Suddenly James thought back to all those vicious pranks he'd pulled on Snape, ganging up on him four to one. Every time Snape reacted like a wild, cornered animal and it just added to their amusement. Now, knowing that Snape was willing to be tortured for the sake of his son, it was enough to humble him down a notch or two.


	5. Observations

Harry rubbed his palms on his trousers. The suit he borrowed from the Weasleys was stuffy and scratchy and just a tad too big. Nothing he wasn't used to, but being as nervous as he was, he noticed every little thing.

As they neared the hearing room, he saw Lucius Malfoy talking to the Minister and narrowed his eyes at Lucius who looked down at him as usual. Then, as Fudge looked at Harry, Lucius offered Harry a smirk. Mr. Weasley wrapped an arm around his shoulders and led him away.

"Don't worry, Harry. You haven't done anything wrong. Now, I'm not allowed inside, I'm afraid." Harry nodded and gulped as he faced the door, walking on ahead.

oOoOoOo

James rushed up, catching Snape in the lift with Dumbledore.

" _I found them, Lucius Malfoy was talking to Fudge, 'advising' him to think about the message it would send if Harry went unpunished. Pompous bastard."_

Snape glanced at him and nodded. It didn't seem to surprise him at all, Malfoy's manipulations in the ministry. James couldn't believe the bastard was still at it. Snape told him how he got out of jail by pretending he had fallen under the imperious curse. Hah! That was a laugh. The ministry was so stupid.

"I believe they're about to start, headmaster." Snape said and Dumbledore nodded.

"Good thing you were here three hours early to let me know." Dumbledore said and Snape nodded.

" _I'm going to go keep an eye on Harry while you get down there."_ James said and floated back down, faster than the lift.

oOoOoOo

 _Bang, bang, bang._

The gavel striking wood made his heart skip a beat each time. The fifty or so wizards sat in intimidating robes of red and black, looking down at him like vultures, waiting for their meal to die. Harry saw some attempts at a kindly face, but the overall effect was intimidating and Harry found the hard chair he was sitting in all the more uncomfortable.

"Disciplinary hearing of the twelfth of August, addressing the offences committed by one 'Harry James Potter'…" Harry tried to pay attention and focus, but his heart was racing quite a bit and it drowned out the Minister's voice.

"Witness for the defence!" Harry jumped up a little in the chair and turned to see Dumbledore storm into the hearing followed closely by Snape. Relief coursed through him instantly as he saw the headmaster swoop in to take over. He looked around to make eye-contact with him, to smile his gratitude but the headmaster was too busy focusing on the council.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see nothing except Snape sitting in the sidelines. He was surprised to see the other here. Snape, however, was looking at a particular spot where Harry had thought he'd felt someone. A second later, Snape turned his attention back to the council and the hearing continued.

He didn't relax until the Minister grudgingly spoke the final sentence. "Clear of all charges." A weight was lifted off his shoulders as he realised everything was going to be ok for now.

All thanks to Professor Dumbledore. As the headmaster made his way to leave Harry stood and tried to follow.

"Professor," He smiled, gratefully but the headmaster rushed out, without giving him a glance back. Harry gripped his left forearm, rubbing the remaining scar from where Voldemort had taken his blood to resurrect himself. He still felt twinges of pain from time to time but he tried to ignore it. Right now, it simply reminded him that this whole mess everyone was in was his fault.

"Potter." Harry looked up, surprised to see the potions master addressing him. What did _he_ want?

"Yes?"

"Yes, sir." Snape corrected.

"There's no need to call me 'sir', Professor." Harry said before he even registered the words. There was a gust of wind to his left and Harry noticed Snape turned to glare at that spot aswell.

oOoOoOo

" _Hahahaha! Oh god, I wish Moony and Padfoot were here to hear this!"_ James Potter was in hysterics pretending to slap the wood, which did actually stir up a breeze. Severus took a very deep calming breath. Unfortunately, James Potter's laugh was actually quite contagious and he refused to stay here longer than necessary and grant Harry Potter the satisfaction of making him so much as break a smile at such disrespect.

"Get yourself ready for the new year. If you want even a chance at passing your potions OWL, I recommend you read ahead." He sneered and stormed out.

oOoOoOo

Harry blinked in surprise and couldn't stop himself as he followed Snape out the other corridor he followed, instead of the entrance where Mr. Weasley was probably waiting. As he followed he saw Snape hissing at something. As he came closer, he heard it clearer.

"That wasn't _funny!_ Shut up, Potter!"

 _Potter? What the heck?_

There was a silent moment and then Snape turned toward him.

"Potter! What are you doing here?" He demanded. Harry raced through possible things he could say.

"Reading!" He blurted out and even Snape sent him a bewildered look. "I was… wondering what pages I should read ahead." He said.

"…Read the introduction and summary to the first three chapters. More if you have time. Is that all, or would you like the questions to this year's exams as well?" Snape said with snarky disdain. There was a pause. Harry only heard silence, but Snape's eyes flickered ever so slightly to _something_.

"Who were… you talking to, sir?" He asked.

"No one, go back to Arthur Weasley." Snape demanded and Harry watched him storm off. Harry frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. Snape had definitely said 'Potter'. Had he lost his marbles? Maybe Voldemort had him on the edge of insanity already.

The thought sent a chill down Harry's spine and he turned, rushing back to find Mr. Weasley who was looking for him.

oOoOoOo

Severus paused and watched the boy go. He glared at James once more. "Stay with him. You can always appear where I am if you need me, right?" Potter nodded and began to follow Harry. "Potter." James stopped and turned to look at him. " _Don't_ let him realise you're here."

" _Fine, fine. You worry too much, Snape. See you around!"_

Severus shuddered at those words, wishing the other would just disappear. Still, this gave him a couple of weeks in peace from the ghost which he was very much going to enjoy.

oOoOoOo

The next couple of weeks were mostly uneventful for James. He spent time with Sirius when he told Harry stories of James and he when they were in school. James found it hard. For him it had been a blink of the eye. For them, more than a decade. Seeing the anguish years of his death had done to his friends, it hurt to look at.

But with Harry… it was strange. He didn't really know his son. What he was learning about him wasn't much. James was left with the yearning for someone to open up an album of Harry growing up to try and understand how his bubbly baby boy got to where he was now, but somehow he doubted the Dursleys kept pictures of his son and that made him even angrier.

Harry spent most of his time either quietly avoiding his friends, spending his energy on helping to clean up the house, following Sirius around the house like a puppy or, most depressing of all, _reading_ ahead in Potions.

It was the forced smiles and the moments of staring into the distance that unnerved him. The night terrors that woke his son in cold sweat, the way he rushed to stifle his emotions to stop his friend from waking up or worrying too much about him.

Even returning to Hogwarts didn't fill Harry's face with glee and excitement. It was a look James had been most desperate to see. Now it hurt to look at his son and see him obviously waging a war with his own mind.

Then, the anger. He'd seen glimpses of it before with Harry's friends. Harry would gradually get irritated with them and leave to be on his own. But _this?_

"I'm surprised the Ministry's letting you walk around free, Potter." A blonde boy laughed and James didn't need Snape to tell him the brat was Lucius' spawn.

Harry reacted faster than he expected, throwing himself at Malfoy who jumped back pathetically. Luckily, Harry's friend held him back. Ron. James wasn't sure how to feel about that. He was kind of looking forward to see his boy beat the blonde idiot up.

"You stay away from me!" Harry yelled after Malfoy at the boy's final retort. James frowned and reached down to pet his boy's cheek but before he could even reach to try and comfort him, Harry pulled himself away from his friend's hold and walked ahead of them.

James closed his eyes.

" _Snape!"_

Snape jumped and dropped the tray of empty potions vials he was carrying. They peppered down to the ground, crashing to pieces and James found himself facing the end of Snape's wand.

" _Oooh, what you going to do? Kill me?"_ He mocked.

"Potter! What the devil is wrong with you?" Snape snapped and James simply snickered as the Slytherin pointed his wand at the mess on the floor.

" _I can hear your heart racing from over here."_

"Shut up."

James watched the Slytherin fix the vials until they were looking good as new. _"I'm worried about Harry."_

Snape rolled his eyes. "If I could go a week without hearing those words…" Snape crossed the potions classroom, now _his_ classroom, and put away the vials. "What's he done now?"

" _He's shut down, avoids his friends, he's angry and irritable. Just now he almost pounced on Malfoy's heir. His friends had to hold him back. I don't think this is how he normally behaves."_

"And how would you know? You've known him for three weeks." James glared at Snape who glared back.

" _It doesn't seem like him. I heard Molly talking to Sirius about it. They were worried about him. He even spent a good portion of his holiday_ reading _potions!"_

At this Snape froze and turned to him. "He what? He must surely be at death's door then."

" _Ha. Ha. Very funny."_ It was James' turn to roll his eyes. _"I'm serious, Snape."_

"What do you want me to do about it?"

" _I want you to reach out to him. Dumbledore practically ignored him at the trial and Sirius is still a convict. Not to mention he keeps terrifying Harry with the thought of war."_

"Stupid Black. He shouldn't be telling the boy anything!" Snape hissed and James stared at him.

" _Why not? Harry's in the middle of all of this. He should know, shouldn't he?"_ He tested Snape and waited for his response. Snape turned to him with that oh-so-hated 'you're an idiot' look on his face.

"Are you stupid? He's just a boy! There is no reason for him to think he has to play any part in this war! I'm working my hardest so the Dark Lord can be brought down _before_ he can get close to the boy again! I won't allow you and _Black_ to ruin that!"

James smirked. _"Good, I'm glad we are in agreement."_

Snape seemed to pause and his eyes widened slightly in disbelief. "Did you… just employ _cunning_ with me?"

" _What_ are _you insinuating? You must be out of your mind. Don't be late for the Great Feast now!"_

oOoOoOo

Severus didn't know whether he should be disgusted or impressed as he watched the ghost float away. He collected his things and made his way to the Great Hall.

He tried to think back to the few times he'd seen the boy since Voldemort's return. The fear in his eyes as he cradled his cut arm the night of his return. He savoured every scream he got out of Crouch Jr. that night.

Every other time there was a sort-of haunted look in his eyes, even with his smart-mouth after the trial. He would have to ask the headmaster about it.


	6. Nightmare

Severus watched James floating down to the boy, who sat next to Granger, shunned by the rest of his classmates for simply being honest. He paid close attention to the Hogwarts ghosts. Headless Nick had already tried to approach Potter but James had motioned for him to be quiet.

At least Severus knew he wasn't going crazy. The bastard really was back. He wondered how long it would take for the ghosts to tell the headmaster.

Severus ate his meal slowly, not really gathering enough of an appetite to enjoy the great feast. Potter's ghost had almost slipped into a 'maybe I dreamed him up' category until he almost scared him half to death when he appeared out of nowhere shouting his name.

Severus sighed and rubbed his temples. It said something about his Hogwarts years that hearing that voice call out his name sent his heart racing in mild panic. It was so humiliating.

"Are you alright, Severus?" McGonagall asked. Severus nodded and drank from his goblet.

"I have a headache already, is all." He grumbled.

" _Aw, I hope you don't mean me. Oh, my blazing phoenix. Professor McGonagall looks ancient!"_ Severus ignored James as he commented on Professor McGonagall's many new wrinkles since he last saw her. He managed to drown him out for most of the meal until the headmaster began his announcements.

Hagrid being gone for now, he knew that. Umbridge sliding in from the ministry? Check. He was ready for this day to end. Ready for James to go stay with his spawn and for him to pass out in bed and hope that the Dark Lord won't summon him tonight.

"I know you'll join me in wishing the professor, good luck. Now-"

Beside him, the high-pitched squeak reminded him of the toad-faced woman's condescending response to Dumbledore during Potter's hearing.

As she stood and walked to the front and spoke her grand speech about the Ministry encouraging this or that and prohibiting some practices he found it hard to keep a straight face.

" _Ugh, as usual, the Ministry spewing their immeasurable wisdom."_ James grumbled.

"Nothing new there." Severus mumbled.

"What?" McGonagall turned toward him and Severus shook his head, dismissing her attention.

James simply nodded. _"Harry hasn't eaten anything."_ He pointed out. Severus glanced at the boy. His plate was mostly empty to begin with and it looked like he'd barely managed one bite before stopping. Severus took another sip from his goblet. _"You haven't eaten anything either. What is it with you two? How did my son end up like you?"_

Severus choked on his drink and somehow managed to regain composure before he succumbed to a coughing fit in front of the whole school. James Potter simply huffed and swooped down to follow his son out of the Great Hall as the students were sent away.

Severus stormed out of there just as quickly. What the hell was that? The headmaster had said something similar once. He found those words as ludicrous as Potter returning from the grave to seek his help. It was logical that the boy had no appetite. He knew for a fact the Dark Lord was back. Any normal person would be worried and Harry Potter wasn't a normal person. He was a boy with a target on his back. He shook his head and marched to his rooms for the sleep he so desperately longed for.

oOoOoOo

Harry felt like it was Fourth year all over again. Instead of badges, his classmates were looking at the front cover of the Daily Prophet. Instead of 'Potter Stinks' it was 'Potter? Plotter?'

It almost seemed easier to find Voldemort and let him kill him than put up with everyone's crap all over again. He glanced at Seamus who had been glaring at him the moment he walked in. He considered ignoring everyone. Ignoring the way everyone shut up the second he walked in and followed him with their eyes. Like a freak on display.

He stopped and turned to his _friends_. "Dean, Seamus? Good holiday?" He asked.

"A disaster, actually." Seamus stood up, glaring at him. "Almost didn't get to come back this year."

"Why?"

"Because of all the rubbish you've said about You-Know-Who. Mum's been reading the Daily Prophet and they have a lot to say about you, Harry and about Dumbledore."

Harry felt that lingering feeling of anger flare up over the surface. "I guess you believe them, then?"

"Well," Seamus shook his head. "No one else was there when Cedric died."

" _I_ was there!" Harry snapped.

"Yeah, just you!" Seamus countered.

"Me, and Voldemort, and a gang of DeathEaters. I bet your stupid mother didn't read _that_ in the Prophet!" Harry was itching to grab his wand, a dark side of his mind encouraging him to blast Seamus with the worse curse he could muster.

"Don't you _dare_ talk about my mother that way!"

"I'll have a go at _anyone_ that calls me a liar!" Harry yelled, his hand starting to go for the wand but froze as he felt a cool sensation over his hand. Almost like… another hand? He rubbed the back of his hand to remove the sensation.

Luckily Ron came in and took over. Harry couldn't deal with these people anymore. He turned and stormed up to the dormitories.

"Seamus was right out of order, mate."

"I'm fine." Harry started digging in his trunk for something to wear for bed.

"Don't worry… they'll come round." Damnit, why couldn't he just shut up?

"I said I'm _fine_ , Ron!" Harry grabbed Duddley's hand-me-downs and got into his bed, closing the curtains and sealing them shut.

oOoOoOo

James frowned as Harry went to sleep, lulled to sleep by his anger. He leaned down and pet his boy's hair. His dead heart squeezed painfully as he felt nothing and yet Harry still turned toward his ghostly touch.

" _Oh, Harry. I'm so sorry."_ He whispered. _"I failed you when I lived. I won't do so again."_

For the rest of the night James watched him sleep. He watched the rise and fall of his son's chest. He watched his cheeks flush with the warmth from the covers. He watched the anger melt into peaceful innocence.

And then, at the dead of night, as even the owls quieted down following their hunt, James saw Harry's expression change in a split second. One second he was at peace, the next his brow furrowed into a frown, his breathing picked up and he whined softly, beginning to toss and turn.

There was a sickly feeling in the air that made James queasy and he moved back, away from Harry. The feeling began to grow, getting worse and worse just as Harry became more agitated in his nightmare.

"Nhh-AH!" Harry sat up, covered in cold sweat, panting, out of breath, the curtains blasted open in a small burst of accidental magic.

The nauseating feeling was gone and all that was left was his boy, trying to catch his breath and shake off whatever hellish nightmare had just had a hold of him. James noticed Ron looking up at him, as if knowing that dark shadows plagued his friend and not knowing what to do about it.

James tried to figure out where he'd felt something similar. Then he remembered Harry, napping in the train. There had been a sickly aura in the air that none of the living seemed to have noticed.

The same sickly feeling James had first felt course through him at the cemetery.

" _The Dark Lord."_ He had to tell Snape. James blinked. _"Snape!"_

Snape jumped where he slept and blasted James with a spell. The spell shot right through him and blew up against the wall.

" _Look at the mess you made."_

"Damnit, Potter! Does the saying: 'sleep like the dead' not mean anything to you?" He yelled. Somehow, James realised he had to wait for Snape to drink a strong coffee before he could mention that he woke him up to talk about Harry.

oOoOoOo

Severus approached the headmaster's office when he saw the Bloody Baron sweep past.

"Baron, might I have a word?" The bloody apparition turned toward him in a sluggish manner.

" _I know what you wish to say, Head of Slytherin. I shall not be the one to reveal James Potter's return to the headmaster."_

"Do you think the other ghosts will also keep this to themselves?" He asked.

" _We ghosts are loyal to the headmaster. However, between the living and the dead, we will always side with our own."_ The ghost made to turn and leave but Severus stopped him again.

"Baron, what is he? He doesn't have the same abilities as other ghosts. Not to mention only I can see him." The Baron looked amused. Severus had never seen him amused.

" _He is a man on a mission."_

With that final response the ghost floated off into the next floor so Severus could no longer follow. He stared at that spot for a few more seconds before he continued to the headmaster's office.

"Ah, Severus, come in. Any news?" Dumbledore asked. Severus shook his head.

"He hasn't summoned me since, headmaster. I'm here about Potter." He said.

Just then, James floated right in. _"I'm here, am I late? I was just showing Harry to his class. Can you believe they're doing_ theoretical _defense against the-"_

"About Harry? Surely he couldn't have already gotten himself in trouble, Severus."

"As you well know, that boy is in a _permanent_ state of trouble." The headmaster nodded gravely at that and turned to Faux, petting his shimmering plumage. "I was wondering whether someone has spoken to him about what happened at the cemetery."

"Of course, my boy. I made sure to get a detailed account of what happened. It was the first thing I did once he was healed."

" _A_ detailed account _? My boy was fourteen years old. Not some agent on a mission."_ Severus fought the urge to glare at the ghost.

"I'm not asking whether you acquired a satisfactory report." But he wasn't exactly sure how to phrase it to not arouse suspicion. "Potter is not quite himself." He said. He noticed a flicker of _something_ in the headmaster's eyes. "Tell me the truth, headmaster." He demanded.

Dumbledore sighed. "You know that in order to resurrect himself, the Dark Lord used Harry's blood for the ritual."

" _He what?!"_ James yelled.

Severus supressed a shudder. "Yes, I know."

"I have always known that Harry and Voldemort have a connection. Now, I believe that connection might have become even stronger."

Severus frowned. "In what way?"

"I believe Voldemort might attempt to gain control of his mind one way or another, and make Harry do something he would very much regret."

The thought filled him with horror, a horror he couldn't express. James Potter was not taking it well either. _"No."_

"Then… Occlumency is the only way." Severus said. "You will teach him?"

"I'm afraid not. I can't allow myself to come near Harry. Voldemort might use that to his advantage and take over then and have Harry try to kill me."

" _Then what? What is he doing?"_

"Headmaster… I don't understand. If nothing is done?"

Dumbledore smiled sadly. "Let's not think of such things. We must focus on keeping the prophecy safe."

" _That blasted prophecy."_ James spat and sat himself down. Was James-blasted-Potter right? Would Severus really have to be the one to reach out to the boy? If the Dark Lord was already planting nightmares in the boy, as James had said, then who was to say Severus' cover would remain intact if he so much as tried Potter's plan?

Severus opened his mouth to insist when his mark began to burn and he winced, gripping his forearm firmly to try and soothe the pain. James looked at him in alarm.

"He calls?" Severus didn't need to nod.

oOoOoOo

James followed Snape. He watched Snape keep cool as, this time, another DeathEater was made an example of. Snape watched coldly as another man was tortured and then returned in time to give his lesson to a group of first years.

" _How do you do it?"_ James asked.

"By occluding." Snape said and proceeded to clear his class for the next group of students.

" _You must be pretty good at it."_

All Snape did was scoff and James felt his respect for the Slytherin grow. Only a tiny bit, of course.

" _I'm going to find Harry."_

But Harry was not easy to find. He didn't find him in the Great Hall so he followed Harry's friends around.

"Do you think Harry will be ok? It's only the first day." Hermione said with a frown.

"It's not like it's the first time Harry gets detention on the first day. I'm sure he can handle toad-face for an hour or two." Ron said.

Perfect. James floated towards that Umbridge woman's office. Detention on the first day. Lily would probably have been furious at Harry. James pictured Lily as quite a strict mother when it came to school. He had always planned to be the fun dad even though Sirius had always said there was no such thing. Only the fun uncle, which he had wanted the title for.

He half wondered what Harry had done to get detention in the first place. He glided into Umbridge's office where the sound of cats meowing and a quill scratching on parchment were the first sounds to greet him.


	7. Lines

Harry tried to ignore the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end as Umbridge walked behind him, remaining out of sight. He could only imagine it felt like turning your back on a hungry tiger. His heart had started racing when he looked up and saw her calm expression, as if there was nothing surprising about his punishment.

"You know, deep down, you deserve to be punished."

Harry tried to forget those words as his heart began to calm, accepting the situation. He refused to give the woman the satisfaction of hearing him in pain. He tried his hardest to keep his groans and hisses of pain inside. Still, some escaped and his skin crawled as he heard her sigh as if she were enjoying the sound of songbirds while gazing at a peaceful meadow.

' _I must not tell lies.'_

' _I must not tell lies.'_

' _I must not tell lies.'_

' _I must not tell lies.'_

Harry's entire arm throbbed as the feeling of the quill slicing over his openings again and again. He tried his hardest to write the same way, but his sentences varied slightly here or there, cutting into fresh skin.

Harry gasped and had to stop. His hand was shaking, which he tried to stop by clenching it into a fist. The healing was minimal and blood began to trickle down onto Umbridge's pink, embroidered doily.

This was so unfair. Just because he told the truth. He tried to ignore that this was the same arm where his blood had been drawn to resurrect Voldemort. Voldemort, who had Cedric killed. Harry could still remember the way he just dropped to the ground, eyes staring at nothing. The way his parents would have looked when they died. Because of _him_. Because Harry was born. If Harry had never been born, maybe none of this wouldn't have happened.

Umbridge was right. He _did_ deserve this. He put the quill down once more and continued the lines. The void within him grew a little, as his anger and fear merged with it to leave him numb as he continued in almost a mechanical way to write lines in his own blood, soaking the doily underneath.

oOoOoOo

James took a few seconds to register what was happening. Harry's arm was shaking as the words carved themselves into his skin. His eyes stared at nothing, looking beyond the actual parchment, as if he had left his body behind.

' _I must not tell lies.'_

' _I must not tell lies.'_

" _Stop, Harry! What are you doing?"_ James yelled but nothing moved within the room. No one could see him. Or hear him.

Harry released a gasp and stopped, his hand shaking even more as he opened and closed it.

Umbridge giggled as she picked up her cup of tea and took a sip. "Go on, Mr. Potter. Just let me know when the message sinks in."

Harry didn't respond. He didn't look up. He paused a few seconds more and continued. James watched his son's blood continue to drip into the cloth on the table.

Umbridge poured herself another cup. Her spoon tinkled on the edge of the cup as she stirred in some more sugar.

Another small gasp from Harry.

Anger grew bigger and bigger, settling in the pit of James' stomach. The cats in the plates hissed and ran off. James felt something blow up inside him.

oOoOoOo

Severus stopped dead in his tracks as he patrolled the corridors. He felt something surge behind. The paintings didn't seem to notice anything until a bunch of cats ran past from painting to painting.

Severus took out his wand and marched in the direction of Umbridge's office.

oOoOoOo

Harry felt the hairs to the back of his neck stand on end and goosebumps spread up his arms. He paused and looked up at Umbridge. She was still smiling, as she sipped her tea. The moment her cats scurried away she looked around a little surprised.

Harry heard a distant cry that reminded him too much of a Mandrake's scream and covered his ears. All the plates rattled on the walls and Umbridge stood up very slowly.

The plates all exploded at once and most of Umbridge's decorations were shred to pieces in the span of seconds.

oOoOoOo

" _How DARE you hurt him! How dare you injure my son! I will kill you!"_ James screamed, relishing the sound of all those china plates dropping to the ground in shards.

Umbridge screamed, pointing her wand around, not understanding where this was coming from.

James reached for her neck but she slipped right through him and the energy he'd built up fizzled away.

" _NO! No! Damnit! I'll kill you!"_ James cried out in frustration as whatever just happened faded away so he had no further impact on the mortal realm.

Umbridge turned to Harry. "You! You did this, you little monster!" She yelled, fear flashing in her eyes.

"I didn't, Professor!" Harry defended himself.

The door slammed open and Snape walked inside, wand drawn.

" _Thank god, Snape! Look what she did to my son!"_

oOoOoOo

Severus was met with a destroyed office. Every item in the room was shredded to bits or shattered on the ground. Umbridge had her wand drawn and aimed at the boy. The teen had been covering his ears, drawing his hands down as he defended himself against Umbridge's latest accusation.

Potter, however, he looked livid. His face was twisted in rage. His eyes were almost pitch black. His features were angled and twisted which made him resemble Peeves, the meddlesome poltergeist.

Look at what she did to my son indeed. His hand was covered in blood and the parchment in front of him had lines of red that had Severus really struggling to bring his wand down. But bring it down he did.

"Professor Umbridge, I came as soon as I saw Peeves approaching. It seemed he's played a bit of a joke on you during your detention." Severus said smoothly.

"What? The Poltergeist?" The agitated woman seemed to straighten up and turn her wand away from the boy. "I suppose that does make more sense."

" _Kill her, Snape! Kill her now!"_ The rage still twisted at James' soul and Severus turned to the boy.

"Potter, get to your dormitory. The Professor now has a lot to repair." Severus hissed in the boy's direction. Umbridge placed no further argument and the boy collected his things, rushing out the door. "I'll leave you now, Professor. I'll make sure Peeves doesn't disturb you for the rest of the night."

With that he left, not before he cast a wordless spell to prevent her from repairing any of her things with magic.

Potter was not happy and followed him yelling at him to go back.

" _What are you doing? Kill her! I order you, Snape!"_

"You do _not_ order me! Calm yourself down! The last thing Potter needs is you turning dark and being of absolutely no use to him!" Severus yelled back.

" _But what she did to him! Snape… I can't… I can't forgive…"_

"I'm not asking you to forgive, Potter. I'm asking you to wait for the opportune moment to get revenge." Finally Severus remembered to bring his voice down and James slowly calmed down, his features returning to normal. He looked like a shattered man and Severus had to turn away from him.

" _I can't think like you, Snape."_

"Yes, well, no need to apologise for being an idiot." Potter narrowed his eyes at that but seemed to calm down properly and return to normal.

He followed the trail of blood, droplets here, a smear on the wall there, until finally he reached Myrtle's toilets.

oOoOoOo

Harry opened the tap and stared at the warm water. His hand throbbed and the idea of adding anything to it made him freeze. He looked up as he saw movement in the mirror and turned to see Snape standing there.

"I know it wasn't Peeves." Harry said.

"No, it was not." Snape came closer and Harry frowned, suspicion brewing. He never _did_ trust the potions master. Now with Voldemort back? "Show me."

"Only if you show me first." Harry countered, narrowing his eyes at the man. Snape glared back at him but didn't insult him or give him detention. Instead, Snape unclasped his sleeve and pushed it up to his elbow, revealing the Dark Mark to him.

Harry stared, a little shocked that the other actually showed it to him. It moved ever so slightly, and Harry could feel a sickly energy from the mark.

Harry looked up at Snape, who just stared, as if waiting for a reaction but not looking like he cared either way. Harry raised his own hand to show him. Snape grabbed his wrist and pushed up his own sleeve, inspecting his scar from the ritual. Harry felt sick.

"My blood runs through his veins." Harry mumbled. Snape turned his hand round and summoned a clean cloth, which he soaked in the water and slowly began to clean the blood crusting over the lines. Harry tried to bite back the groan begging to leave his lips but was unsuccessful. To make matters worse he flinched every time Snape dabbed at the wound.

The message finally became legible and Harry glanced up at Snape who paused to read it and up at him, staring intently into his eyes. His jaw tightened and anger burned in his gaze. Snape was angry? Angry at him? That didn't make sense. Angry _for_ him? That made even less sense!

He finished cleaning the blood and opened his hand properly, taking out an ointment from his robes. "This should numb the pain until it heals." He applied some to the wound and with a quick spell bandages wrapped around his hand and tied neatly at his wrist. He handed Harry the ointment and turned to leave.

"Professor… what happened? What was that?"

"I assumed it was a burst of accidental magic from you." Snape said calmly.

" _Liar."_ Harry frowned at the whisper and looked up.

"You're lying."

oOoOoOo

Severus paused and turned to look at the brat. "I beg your pardon, Potter?" How did he know that? Had he heard James call him a liar just now?

" _Why don't you just tell him the truth, Snape?"_ Snape glared at the boy but really it was aimed at James.

"It's almost past curfew. Return to Gryffindor Tower."

The boy glared softly and put the ointment away, making his way out of the toilets.

"Potter…"

The boy stopped and turned to look at him. Severus thought through his words. It was too late to have the same concerns as the headmaster. If the boy was already unknowingly feeding information to the Dark Lord then he was already as good as dead.

"That blood quill is as good as gone."

The boy's eyes widened slightly with surprise and confusion and then he was gone. Severus kept staring at the spot where he'd been standing. Just what the hell was that? Looking into Lily's bright green eyes had made him weak and again he'd slipped up.

" _Alright, what's the plan with that quill?"_ James asked and Severus looked up at him.

"Stay with Umbridge, if she starts to return to her office, let me know." Potter frowned.

" _She's already_ in _her office."_ Snape rolled his eyes.

"So we get her _out_ of her office, so I can sneak _into_ her office and de-activate the blood quill."

Potter had the decency to look embarrassed and finally nodded as he floated away. Severus turned his attention to the neat row of suits of armour and blasted them all. The loud clatter it created no doubt would draw out the toad-faced woman. Sure enough, James soon popped out, gave him a thumbs-up and followed Umbridge down the corridor as she rushed in the opposite direction, set on finding whoever was behind the mess.

Severus came out of his hiding place and made his way inside.

oOoOoOo

Harry glanced at Snape as he marched toward the Defense class and glanced at his bandaged hand. He knew it, Snape was talking to someone. Not to mention he was helping Harry. This was turning into a very bizarre year.

He turned and ran back to the tower before Umbridge came back and blamed him for this entire mess.


	8. Death

Harry kept a closer eye on the potions master after that. He sent a letter to Sirius, telling him how things were going and also asked whether the other had noticed Snape acting strange at all.

He didn't receive a reply as he expected. He felt even more alone as three days passed without a response. The only thing that kept him distracted was trying to figure out what Snape's strange behaviour meant.

Umbridge had left him alone for a while, but this week he'd had another two detentions with her. He had almost forgotten that Snape had sneaked into Umbridge's office with the intention of deactivating the quill. For a second Harry convinced himself that he had heard wrong when he'd been spying on the man. Yet, when he put the quill on parchment, as it wrote the first line, as his wound re-opened, the pain was not there. He stared at his hand and rubbed the wound experimentally. It felt smooth, as if it were only an illusion.

Umbridge came round to sit in her chair, smile sweetly at him and drink her tea. Harry did not welcome the silence that came from the absent cats on the walls. He looked at his hand and wrote a new line, faking a wince here and there. It seemed to please Umbridge enough to not suspect anything and Harry continued.

Snape had done that. Snape had deactivated the quill and respelled it to show an illusion of what it was meant to do. All while sneaking around Umbridge.

Harry found himself quite impressed. His gratitude, however, was not enough to stop him from following Snape to try and catch him talking to whomever it was he was talking to. So far, Snape hadn't slipped up.

oOoOoOo

" _Harry's following us again."_ Potter said and Severus tried to gather some patience from whatever out-of-reach dimensions it resided in.

"I don't care, I need these potion ingredients. I can't put it off any longer." Severus said, placing a row of empty vials in a charmed box that fit in his pocket yet could handle a whole cupboard of vials.

" _Good, fresh air, Harry needs that."_ Potter said and Severus rolled his eyes.

"I'm _not_ doing it for him." He grumbled. The boy's subtlety was non-existent. If he didn't have James Potter distracting him most of the day he would have noticed the boy following him instantly. Nonetheless Potter told him the moment it started and the boy had not yet used the invisibility cloak. Not that they knew, in any case. Neither of them knew whether the brat could be seen by James under the cloak or not.

oOoOoOo

Harry made his way through the forest, making sure to keep an eye on Snape at all times. It made him trip a couple of times until the ground evened out slightly and he heard a haunting call nearby. Harry looked up to see the strange horses he'd seen at the start of the year.

When he turned to find Snape, the potions master had already disappeared. He muttered a curse under his breath and came out from hiding. He sighed and turned to leave when a small one approached him. Harry stared at the peculiar creature.

It chirped brightly as it paced around him. Its eyes a cloudy white.

"Hey little guy." Harry knelt down to its level and tried to extend his hand to him. The animal chirped, smelled his hand and came closer. He could see himself vaguely reflected in the mist within the creature's eyes.

Two shapes came up behind him and he turned.

He only saw Snape.

"The _Forbidden_ Forest, Potter, was not named thusly for mere shock value." Harry frowned and looked around for the other shape.

"Is someone with you, Professor?"

"Hallucinating, Potter? I certainly hope your trip to the forest wasn't in search of Belladonna."

"Bella-what?"

Snape walked past him and reached for the black berries and red flowers in a collection of bushes nearby.

"Deadly Nightshade. Will have you roaming the forest in a wild state of delirium when consumed." He looked up at him as the berries and flowers were bottled separately. "And then it will kill you."

"Well, as long as I find a goat and eat the stone in its stomach I'll be fine." Snape shot him a nasty glare and Harry figured he should have known better than to try and joke with Snape. Harry stared at the potions master. "No, professor. I wasn't looking for that." Last thing he needed was the Prophet declaring that Harry was taking something like that, or worse, spreading hallucinogenic berries through the student population.

One of the winged horses came closer to Snape and sniffed at his clothes. Snape turned and shooed the creature back as he walked past the bushes. Harry followed.

"You can see them too?" Harry asked.

"The thestrals? Yes." Harry was surprised the other answered instead of sending him off to the school with a promise of detention. Had someone replaced him and polyjuiced into Snape? Snape kept collecting flower petals, flower seeds, finding magical creatures in nests he seemed to know how to locate and plucking the required ingredients here and there. Harry was surprised and a little fascinated to see the sources of most of his potions ingredients.

"Why can't anyone else see them? Only Luna from Ravenclaw can see them, that I know of." Harry said. Snape paused and turned to him.

"They can only be seen by those who have seen death." He said.

"And… you've seen death?" Snape scoffed at that.

"I'm a DeathEater. I've been acquainted with death far too many times."

"I'm sorry." The words slipped. It seemed natural to say. Snape rolled his eyes and came closer.

"Don't apologise for what you had no control over." He reached out and grabbed Harry's hand, studying the bruising. The scars had now gone.

"The quill doesn't work anymore… but I didn't let her know that." Harry said. Snape rose an eyebrow at that.

"If that is true, consider me impressed. I didn't expect you to be proficient enough in charms to break such an item." Snape said and walked away once more.

Harry narrowed his eyes at Snape and followed. "I know it was you. I saw you go to her office."

"Accusations, Potter?" Snape asked.

"I just… don't understand what's happening."

"Nothing you should concern yourself with. Focus on your OWLs."

Harry stared at the man as he continued collecting ingredients. "Who the hell can focus on some stupid exams when the second most powerful wizard in Britain is trying to kill you." Harry mumbled.

"To my knowledge, the Dark Lord has been trying to kill you for a while."

"Yeah, but now he can touch me without turning to ashes. It wasn't exactly pleasant when he did it at the graveyard."

Snape seemed to freeze and turned to look at him. His eyes seemed to flicker to something Harry couldn't see and with a semi-resigned expression turned to look at him.

"What happened at the graveyard, Potter?"

Harry looked at him shocked. Was Snape actually asking? "You know already. Sirius knows, so you as a spy should know."

"Did _you_ tell Black?" Snape countered.

"I… no." He shrugged. "Dumbledore must have told the Order."

"He was vague on the details. I want _you_ to tell me what happened at the graveyard."

Harry winced and looked away as the Thestrals begun moving closer, hovering around that spot that Snape kept glancing at discretely. He began playing with the cuff of his jumper. He couldn't get the words out.

"No one believes me. That he's back." He said instead.

Snape didn't respond at first but he also didn't move to leave. "Some people are fools. They pretend that all is well by denying truths and pushing their reality onto others." He looked away and then back at him. "However, not everyone is as stupid as Fudge. One would think your so-called friends would believe you." Harry shrugged and followed Snape as the man spotted some fireflies and followed them to their nest, harvesting the fire-proof leaves of the bush they resided in. "Seems like the Dark Lord has you right where he wants you."

Harry looked up at that. "What do you mean? Did he say something? Ow!" Harry stayed back from the firefly nest as one scorched him lightly.

"It seems only logical. If I were the Dark Lord, I would want my enemy to feel as alone as possible. Despite what your glorious ego might have led you to believe, having you as an opponent, with no support from all your little friends?" Snape smirked as he looked him up and down with disdain, making Harry feel even more pathetic than he already felt. "Well, it's simply laughable how unthreatening you actually are."

Harry glared, anger surging as he stormed off. Still, he couldn't help but realise. Maybe Snape was right.

"Potter." Harry stopped once more at the sound of his name. The dour potions master came closer and looked as annoyed by this interaction as Harry imagined he would be. He handed Harry an old tattered book with the cover faded. Harry turned to read the spine, where the barely legible 'Potions' could be read.

It was the same as his year 4 book, except much older, with many side notes and tips and advice scrawled on the side by its previous owner. A 'half-blood Prince'. Harry hadn't even known there was any kind of royalty in the wizarding world.

Harry had no idea what to say.

"Call it supplementary reading. It helped me during my time here. Should you actually wish it, it could help improve your potions grade."

Harry looked up at him with a mixture of confusion, surprise and mild hope swirling inside him. He'd read the chapters the potions master had recommended and it actually _had_ helped him. It was how Harry realised that all the questions Snape asked to try and put them on the spot usually came from those summary sections at the end of each chapter.

With Defense being hell on earth, Potions was slowly turning into a more likable subject.

"Now, if you could cease your incessant following, perhaps you could concentrate more on your work."

Harry felt heat burn his face. "Following?"

"In case you forgot, Potter, I'm a spy. If I couldn't tell when an untrained and clumsy fifteen-year-old was following me around, I'd already be dead." Snape turned him by the shoulders and shoved him lightly in the direction of the castle. "Now get yourself back to the castle. And detention." Snape said.

Harry turned shocked. "What? Why?" He exclaimed.

"Number one, for going into the forbidden forest. Number two, for following someone you know for sure is a DeathEater into said forest, with no one else knowing your location. Anyone else and you'd already be at the Dark Lord's mercy." Snape said and Harry glared. Snape glared back and Harry frowned, holding the book tighter against him.

It was frustrating. Harry wasn't used to this Snape. Harry wasn't used to having this feeling that he could trust the potions master. Especially when he knew the other was still hiding something.

Harry turned and left, rushing back to the castle.

OOoOoOo

James watched his boy run off to the castle with mixed feelings.

 _"You gave him that book in the end. As if he needs to stress about stupid exams. You should be getting him to talk about that graveyard incident. This was the perfect chance."_

Snape scoffed and returned to his collecting of ingredients. A boring and tedious task as far as James was concerned.

"He wasn't going to talk. That brat doesn't trust a single grown wizard. Running up and down the corridors since first year, getting into trouble, trying to handle things on his own."

 _"Who was he supposed to trust? From what I gather, you've always been a bastard to him."_

Snape turned to him, angry. "You have the nerve to say that to me?"

 _"Perhaps my son doesn't trust adults, because he was raised by muggles that treated him like garbage for as long as he could remember. Maybe he doesn't trust adults because when he came here you kept sending him back there. What was there to trust?"_

"Don't you put the blame on me! If Potter had a problem, it was the headmaster's duty to resolve it."

 _"Well he didn't. Now I'm here. So gain his confidence enough to talk about it. I'm sure what I saw was only a glimpse of what his life has been like. I did not die for my son to suffer knowing there isn't anyone out there who will do whatever they can to stop him from suffering."_

"Others have gone through similar things and survived." Snape countered.

 _"Are we still talking about Harry? Or about you?"_ James knew he was walking on thin ice whenever he tried to talk to Snape about helping Harry. The way he treated Severus didn't help him any. Snape glared intensely and finally huffed.

" _Fine_. In detention. I'll ask him and won't let him back out from talking. Sound adequate to you, your majesty?" Snape hissed.

 _"Why Snape, no need to call me 'your majesty'. You're the Prince after all."_ James laughed and floated away after Harry, leaving Snape seething in anger and embarrassment.

He floated over to the school, finding Harry easily. He smiled warmly as his son reached out to his friends only for the moment to be ruined by professor McGonagall arguing with that horrid toad-faced woman.


	9. Detention

"What are you insinuating, Professor?" Umbridge demanded.

Harry followed the other students as they came closer to overhear the fight between the two professors.

"I am merely requesting that when it comes to my students, you adhere to the standard disciplinary practices."

Umbridge seemed horrified and glanced at Harry. Harry wished he hadn't followed the group of students at all. She knew it was _his_ discipline professor McGonagall was arguing to her about.

"It sounds like you're undermining my authority in my own classroom."

"I am merely questioning your medieval methods." Harry turned to look at his friends and saw Ron and Hermione looking guilty, avoiding eye contact with Harry. He'd told them! He'd told them not to say anything! He'd told them that this wasn't a simple matter. Snape had even resolved the problem for him! And Ron and Hermione had to come and make things worse.

He gradually saw McGonagall take a step back and Umbridge step higher. She looked angry, determined and oh so smug.

"Cornelius will want to take immediate action! Things are far worse than I thought at Hogwarts and I won't stand for it." With a final glance and smirk in Harry's direction, Umbridge stormed off and professor McGonagal was left to send everyone else off to class.

Harry took a deep breath and pulled his friends along, away from the scene.

"Why did you have to tell McGonagall?" Harry hissed.

"I'm sorry Harry. We just couldn't not do anything!" Hermione insisted.

"Come on, mate. I saw your hand the day you took the bandage off." Ron said. Harry shook his head.

"I don't believe this." He tried to storm off but they followed.

"The woman was torturing you Harry. If they parents heard about this-"

"Yeah well, it's not like I've got any of those, have I Ron." He hissed at them and they stopped, looking away. Harry kept going but slowly came to a stop as he remembered what Snape said. Harry turned toward them. "I'm sorry… I know you just wanted to help."

"I'm sorry it didn't really help, Harry." Hermione said and came to hug him. Harry, still unused to physical contact, even after five years, reacted slowly and gave her a small hug.

"It's fine now… let's just get to class." Harry said and his friends nodded. Harry sighed softly. It did feel better knowing his friends were there with him.

He could only hope that whatever Fudge decided to do upon Umbridge's complaints wouldn't be too severe. Harry felt so guilty. Whatever was about to happen would surely cause the headmaster a heap of trouble. As if the headmaster didn't have enough to worry about.

It was just so frustrating knowing that Voldemort was moving freely around the countryside, not feeling persecuted at all while it was all that Harry felt. He would ask Snape more information on Voldemort's activities during their detention. Maybe in the weird mood Snape seemed to be the potions master would be willing to keep him informed.

oOoOoOo

Severus paced his office trying to plan the conversation ahead of time. How was he supposed to even get the boy to say something if he absolutely refuses? It wasn't like he could just keep the brat here until he tells all.

"Are you sure you're not just exaggerating the issue because your little brat isn't given heaven and earth like you were?" Severus snapped. The bitter possibility had always been at the back of his mind.

 _"I wasn't spoiled! My parents grounded me all the time!"_ James Potter defended himself and Severus had to pause his pacing and turn to him, arms crossed over his chest.

"Oh really? What did your parents deem worthy punishment to your transgressions then?" He taunted. James Potter fluttered down to his level with a look of utter confidence in his words that Severus was partly swayed before the bastard even spoke.

 _"Once, I mixed up my father's hair potion. He ended up with green hair for a week. My parents sent me to my room!"_ Severus blinked. He processed this information as he stared blankly at the apparition. _"Without dessert!"_ Potter seemed to be waiting for a reaction from him which the potions master didn't provide. _"For the whole_ week _!"_ Potter huffed in frustration, as if the punishment still shocked him.

Severus felt his eyebrow twitch as he stared at the bastard a little longer. Was this despicable human being really being serious? "Yes, truly the prime example of discipline, your parents." He drawled in that way that he knew the bastard despised. Severus always knew the bastard hated it when he spoke down to him and he pushed the sarcasm as far as he could manage, making Potter frown and glare.

 _"Fine then, how did your parents discipline you?"_ James countered and Severus clenched his jaw. Somehow, he hadn't prepared for the question and the silence made Potter's eyes widen ever so slightly. _"Don't tell me..." S_ everus tensed. Had the other guessed? _"They sent you to bed without the_ whole _of supper?"_

Severus released a laugh he couldn't really contain. He was so angry. So angry. This is the despicable person the headmaster always stood up for? "I'll never understand what Lily saw in a stupid, narrow-minded buffoon like you!" Severus spat out with as much vitriol as he could muster, which seemed to surprise Potter. Severus knew he hadn't spoken to him with this much malice for a good number of weeks now.

 _"What the heck is your problem?"_

"You want to know how _my_ parents disciplined me? Whenever I _breathed_ wrong my father punched me hard enough to knock me out." He didn't acknowledge Potter's shock. He refused to even consider that the bastard could even begin to understand. "As I grew older and I talked back or defended my mother from his anger I would end up black with bruises and would often end up bedridden until my mother could secretly brew a bruise ointment. Oh, and I loved my mother dearly. I used to love her more than anything despite her bitter mutterings that I shouldn't have angered my father, despite her just standing there and ignoring when her muggle bastard of a husband turned his anger to me."

 _"Snape, I-"_ Potter opened his mouth but Severus refused to even give him the opportunity to pity him.

"For a time I felt so proud whenever I protected my mother from a beating. Her solution most of the time was to send me out to play after whatever breakfast she could scrounge up and tell me to not come back until _supper_ time."

"…" Potter frowned and opened his mouth to speak, which Severus couldn't bear to allow.

"When I met Lily, she was bright, and happy, and filled with wonder at her abilities. She was my first and only friend. I was so excited to come to Hogwarts, where I could practice magic without fear of my father, where I could spend all day with Lily whether it be playing, studying or just being together. Hogwarts was supposed to be my refuge from home." Severus let out a short angry laugh he didn't realise he was holding in. "But then _you_ spent _every_ year tormenting me, making even Hogwarts an extended part of my hell. You and Black! I loved Lily with everything I had, I would have done anything for her, I would have even been happy for her if she fell in love with anyone else. _Anyone else. Except_ you!"

Emotion was running high in his veins. Severus turned his back to the apparition and occluded as hard as he could.

 _"Snape... I didn't know. Look… Sirius' parents weren't great either…"_

"Shut up, Potter." Severus took a few seconds more until his emotions were finally occluded and turned to him. "Not that it matters now. Where's your spawn? Let's get this over with. Hopefully I'll get to send you to hell by talking to him."

As a response, there was a knock on the door. Potter floated out, back in and nodded. As the boy entered the room Severus struggled to keep his rage at Potter Senior in check.

"Evening, sir."

Severus stared at the boy, resisting the urge to snap a hateful reply right in front of the other's father. That'd put James _bloody_ Potter in his place. He opened his mouth to spit out the most hateful remark he could but froze as he looked at those eyes. The curiosity in those green eyes.

What _would_ have Lily said? What did she always tell him whenever Potter would toss their books on the ground or send a stray hex their way?

' _Be the better person, Sev.'_ She would say. Severus sighed, frustrated and walked back inside, sitting behind his desk.

"Sit, Potter."

oOoOoOo

Harry went to sit on one of the chairs and looked around the classroom. There wasn't really anything to do that he could see. No dirty cauldrons to scrub clean or nasty potions ingredients to sort through. He knew personally that Snape never assigned lines so that couldn't be what he was going to be doing for the next hour.

"I believe we left the conversation earlier with a few unanswered questions." Snape got straight to the point as he leaned against his desk, looking down at him. "I want to know what happened at the graveyard."

Harry glared at the floor, resisting the urge to groan. No. He didn't want to talk about that.

"While we're still young, Potter." Maybe if he got him angry he'd forget about it. Harry looked up at the potions master and gave a simple chuckle.

" _We_?" He taunted. That wasn't fair, sure Snape wasn't a teenager but despite his dour look he still didn't look a day over thirty-five. Snape narrowed his eyes and Harry felt his life ticking away second by second.

 _"Hahaha!"_ Harry had to strain his hearing to catch that whisper in the air. It was definitely a laugh. Someone had laughed. He looked around but there were no portraits that could have done that. He looked at Snape whose anger seemed to melt into mild concern when he started looking around.

"The... graveyard?" Harry tried. Snape crossed his arms over his chest and nodded. Harry looked down, trying to remember. Why did he have to retell Snape of all people? What good did it do to say it again? "Cedric and I reached the end of the maze. He told me to take it, I had arrived first. But I didn't want him to stay, I thought he would get hurt if I left him behind. I suggested we both take the cup."

Harry felt himself go numb. It was easier than reliving the guilt all over again. "We appeared at the graveyard. Cedric was trying to figure out where we were. I felt my scar burn, I knew he was close. The earth smelled damp... like it was going to rain. I think I... called to Cedric to return to the cup, so we could get out of there. My heart was beating so fast." Harry gripped the fabric of his trousers hard. "'Kill the spare.' He said. Pettigrew struck Cedric down. It was so quick. A flash of green and Cedric was dead, just staring blankly at nothing. I couldn't do anything. The graveyard statue grabbed me from behind and I couldn't move. Pettigrew was grinning as I struggled but the stone dug into my skin whenever I moved."

Harry forgot he was even telling Snape. He forgot where he was. For him, he was back at the graveyard. "Pettigrew came closer, in his arms was a baby... or so I thought... up close it looked more like a snakelike, twisted, deformed thing with red eyes. It was Voldemort. 'Do it now.' He told Pettigrew."

oOoOoOo

Severus tensed as he saw Potter's eyes become vacant.

"He tossed the thing into the large cauldron. 'The bone of the father, unwillingly given. Flesh of the servant, willingly sacrificed.'" Potter began to tremor slightly as he gripped his own arm, where his arm had been cut. "'Blood of the enemy, forcibly taken.'"

"Pettigrew ran away and the cauldron melted... the thing turned bigger in form and all I could do was scream. It felt like my brain was boiling inside my skull and I couldn't break free. He summoned the DeathEaters and mocked me. He touched me, to prove I was no longer protected. I felt dizzy with pain, like I was going to pass out, but I fought to stay awake. He was going to kill me in front of his followers."

Severus placed a hand on the boy's shoulder and gave it a faint squeeze. "Enough." The boy seemed to slowly come out of the memory and looked up at him, his eyes focusing in the present.

 _"What do you mean enough? What else happened? All I remember is appearing from his wand, helping Lily get Harry out of there."_ Potter complained. Severus turned and glared at him.

"Enough." He repeated and made his way to his cupboard, handing the boy a calming drought. "I trust you recognise what this is?" The boy simply nodded and swallowed the potion whole. A couple of minutes later the boy looked much calmer and more alert, as if pushing the memories to the back of his mind.

"Why did you need to know?" The boy asked.

"I am told that talking about such things helps you overcome it faster." Severus said and the boy narrowed his eyes with some suspicion.

"Will you tell me what _he's_ been up to? Where is he?"

"That is not something I will discuss with you." Severus said.

 _"Ask him about his home life. Ask him about the Dursleys."_

"I hear your relatives were not very happy with the Dementor attack." Severus tried. However, he saw the moment he denied the teen his answers, the boy look down and glare at one of the stone tiles.

"So, what? Who would be? When their precious son gets attacked by a savage creature."

 _"They called him a freak."_ Severus flinched internally as he heard that word. _"They blamed him even though he probably saved that lump of lard's behind. Vernon Dursley yanked him up the stairs by his hair and threw him in his room and locked the_ five _locks to his door. He said if their precious son was harmed in any way then they were throwing Harry in a mental assylum where they would keep him drugged up for the rest of his life."_

Severus never once took his eyes off the teen as James Potter spoke. "The aurors who went to collect you commented on the five locks on your door. Some would consider that overkill, even for an unruly teenager." The brat glared up at him.

"Where is he?" The boy demanded. Severus glared.

"I'm _not_ talking with you about the Dark Lord."

"I know he's up to something! I can feel it! I'm not waiting around this time for him to come and kill me!"

"You will _not_ concern yourself with that! The order is working very hard to protect you. Believe me that fully trained wizards will be far more effective against the Dark Lord than a scrawny fifteen-year-old!"

"Yeah? Well everyone said the Triwizard tournament was safe too! Everyone said no one could tamper with the goblet of fire and that was a lie! I shouldn't have even been in that stupid competition! I hated it! I didn't want to be a part of it and did the _Order_ or _Dumbledore_ stop it? NO! I still had to fight a bloody dragon! I still had to almost drown in the black lake and lose a friend in the process! I still had to go into a deadly maze and watch one of my seniors die because he was a _spare!_ " The boy stood on his feet, barely able to contain his rage as he shook on the spot. "I'm not waiting around again pretending to be a normal little student when every waking moment I'm terrified he's going to jump out of the shadows and kill me!" Severus shook his head. So much for the calming potion. The boy's adrenaline was running too high for it to calm him and combined with the potion the adrenaline had him trembling.

He stepped forward and placed his hands on the boy's shaking shoulders. "Calm yourself." He said. "Yes, last year was a disaster. This year it won't be the same. This year we _know_ he's back."

"You knew that in the summer too and I was still left at the Dursleys' unguarded." And what could he say to that? He too had yelled at Albus, demanding to know what the hell happened to the aurors that were supposed to be guarding the boy that day. The boy glared up at him with those vibrant green eyes and Severus rolled his eyes, walking back to his seat. He never could resist telling Lily everything either.

"The Dark Lord is hiding in an old estate of his. He's not concerned with you specifically for now. He's trying to attain something from the ministry that he thinks will help him in this fight."

"What is it? Is it a weapon? Is it well protected?" The boy rambled on and Severus glared at him, silencing him.

"The thing you need to know, is that he's not after _you_ for now."

The brat looked down at the floor. He was clearly still frustrated. "For now."

 _"Don't let him deviate, Snape."_

"Tell me about your relatives." Severus asked. Potter looked up, standing tall, a mask of indifference on his face.

"They are _wonderful._ They spoil me _rotten._ They have a lovely trip planned for me when I go back next summer." The sarcasm was so thick, so overly pushed that even if James Potter hadn't told Severus what he had witnessed, Severus would have been hesitant to actually believe the brat. The last sentence, however, sent a chill down his spine when he realised just what kind of 'trip' the Dursleys had in store for him.

Severus understood that feeling well. Even when school would be over and his bullies would be avoided, there was no joy in knowing he was going back to Cokeworth. In fact, for many years there had been fear and anger. An emotion too clearly reflected in Lily's green eyes. Severus had to look away, shaking his head. This conversation wasn't going anywhere. One glance at James Potter confirmed the ghost was still very much haunting him.


	10. Blame

Nothing more was discussed in that detention. Harry closed himself off to further questioning and Snape said he wasn't about to prompt a 'why are you asking me these questions?' from his son.

James was getting miserable. Poor Harry had already been through so much. Not that Snape was very sympathetic. Whenever James complained and moped the Slytherin would shut him down. Honestly, as if being with the know-it-all wasn't insufferable enough in school, now it was far worse because he couldn't even prank him.

James floated around, lying on his back as if sunbathing despite the dingy dungeon location. Snape was moving around, getting his class ready for the fifth years.

"So are you nervous about Umbridge's inspection?"

"I'm unconcerned with that woman's actions. As long as she stays away from Potter it's none of my business." Snape drawled as he set up the cauldrons and organised the ingredients. At the same time with a flick of the wand the chalk began to write the instructions on the board.

"From what I saw she's been rather tough on the other teachers. That Trelawny really got it hard, I wouldn't be surprised if Umbridge was about to sack her."

"Is that so." At this point James knew Snape was trying to drown him out.

"Why is she even here still? You should have seen her, the woman was completely useless at even predicting the weather. Why does Dumbledore keep her around?" It seemed he asked his question just in time because Snape paused what he was doing for the briefest of seconds.

"She's not a fraud. Her talent is selective." Sensing Snape's serious tone, James stood up straight and hovered down to sit on one of the tables.

oOoOoOo

What harm could it possibly do to tell him? Keeping it a secret would be pointless. "I'm surprised the headmaster didn't tell you." He pretended to be organising some dried herbs. It helped him avoid the other's ghostly gaze. Something unnerving he realised was being unable to use legilimens on the ghost leaving Potter's mind quiet whenever Severus tried to breach his thoughts. It came as second nature to him at this point. Always needing to be a step ahead of students who thought spoiling a potion would be funny but in fact would result in an explosion.

" _Tell me what?"_

"Professor Trelawny was the seer that marked your son as the Dark Lord's equal. One of his servants overheard part of the prophecy and told Voldemort." He screwed the cap on a glass pot. "He chose Lily's son." Severus finished changing the herbs from one pot to another, letting the silence fill the dungeon. If it wasn't for Potter's question, he would have thought the ghost had floated away at some point.

" _Who was it? Who told him about the prophecy?"_ Somehow Severus did not feel like revealing that just yet. _"I'll kill them. I'll kill them and drag them to hell with me if I have to!"_ Severus didn't answer the irate ghost as he muttered to himself and paced back and forth in the classroom.

"Don't worry about that Potter. They'll get what's coming to them." Severus said. It had been a while since he'd been reminded of the self-loathing the truth of the matter would bring up. Potter turned to question him further but that's when the fifth year Gryffindors and Slytherins filed in followed by that wretched woman.

Umbridge looked smug as can be, her heels clicking on the stone floor as she hummed some horrendous tune under her breath, her clipboard held loosely in her arm. "I shall be inspecting your class today Professor Snape." She looked around for the teacher's chair to claim, however Severus had gotten rid of it while arranging the class. She seemed to realise there wasn't one and settled for sitting in the stool in the corner, after laying a clean embroidered hanky over it.

Severus gathered what little patience he possessed and started his lesson as usual. He saw Potter sitting next to Weasley, as per usual, though he half assumed the boy chose the strategic position to allow himself to keep his back turned to the Potions professor and avoid remembering the conversation they'd had. He did, however, see the brat take out the potions book Severus had gifted him the other day in the forest.

Somehow Severus felt smug that the boy was using _his_ present while he kept the Potter signet ring tucked away somewhere in the tower. If the apparition's frown was anything to go by, Potter was also noticing this.

"The instructions for the 'Night Owl' Potion are on the board. I trust you all know what to do by now. You have an hour and a half."

The students scrambled to get to the ingredients, gathering what the potion required. He took notice of the boy as he took more time than usual selecting his ingredients. He was surprised the boy had not only read the notes scribbled on the book ahead of time but was following its advice. Taking a better look at all his ingredients, Severus noted they were selected well. The boy made eye contact with him, as if trying to figure out if he'd done something wrong already. Severus turned away and surveyed everyone else.

Umbridge seemed to start her inspection then, scribbling in her pad and walking around the students.

 _"Professor Snape shows a strict presence to the students. No talking out of turn noted. Students seem focused on task so far."_ James read out loud what the woman had written and Severus rolled his eyes. He didn't need that woman's validation.

He focused on the whispers to his right. Harry Potter was whispering to Weasley about his ground dragon scales.

"They're not fine enough, Ron. They're explosive like that." Potter whispered as he kept crunching his own dragon scales to a fine powder. Weasley was looking at him like he'd grown two heads.

"It's fine, I ground them up for ages already." Weasley rose to pour the dragon scales in. "Since when do you care about potions anyway."

Severus gripped Weasley's wrist, making everyone on the table jump with his fast reflexes. Severus yanked the other's dragon scales, which looked more like chips than powder and put it down on the table.

"If your intention is to blow up my classroom, Mr. Weasley, I seriously suggest you consider the consequences of permanently scarring yourself and your classmates."

The redhead gulped and looked down, glaring at his cauldron but proceeding to copy Potter, grinding the scales some more. Again he met eyes with the boy who looked relieved at his intervention before turning his focus back to the potion. It was an unsettling sight, seeing any Potter so interested in potions.

"Eh-hem!" The high-pitched sound made Severus put his mask back on, resisting the urge to turn to the woman starting to walk around him. "I have a couple of questions for you professor Snape, I hope now is as good a time as any?" She asked and Snape stared coldly around the classroom, pretending he had to keep his eyes on the students while she spoke.

"As good as." He drawled. She _giggled_ and Potter senior narrowed his eyes at the woman, hate burning in his eyes.

"It says in my notes that you are the youngest potions master in over three hundred years. Even so, do you consider yourself to have enough grasp of the subject to be teaching these bright, young minds before you've even reached fourty?"

"Unless the wizengamot has changed the definition of 'mastery', then I am still qualified to keep teaching a subject I've been instructing on for over a decade." To think the age-old argument still persisted. Clearly some still didn't agree with Dumbledore's decision to give him the post.

"It also says here, that you first applied for the Defence against the Dark Arts post, is that correct?"

"Yes...?"

She came around to his right, pouting as if pitying him. Severus tensed every muscle in his body to try and control the urge to swat her away. "But you were unsuccessful?"

"...Obviously." He drawled. Weasley snorted where he sat and Umbridge seemed satisfied, scribbling something else on her papers before walking out of the classroom, her heels clicking all the way. Severus didn't hesitate as he gripped the folded parchment and wacked Weasley harshly across the back of the head.

The boy winced and reached back to guard the back of his head from any other potential attack but Severus had enough of the redhead and moved back to the next table. He didn't miss the way Potter jr. tried to force his amused smile off of his face as Weasley elbowed him for laughing at him.

 _"Can we kill her now?"_ James Potter suggested. Severus huffed and ignored him for now.

At the end of that class, Weasley managed not to blow up the classroom and Potter managed to make a pretty decent potion. He didn't give any compliments but he did grant the boy a nod. It was, after all, a job well done.

oOoOoOo

Professor Trewlawney was sacked the following day. When Harry saw professor Dumbledore finally confront that horrid toad-faced woman he thought she'd finally gone too far. That he was kicking _her_ out and firing _her._

None of that happened. Umbridge ended their argument with a thinly veiled threat and professor Dumbledore sent everyone back to study.

Harry watched the Professor go and rushed after him. This was his fault. All this trouble was his fault. If he had kept his hand tucked away. If he had just stopped Ron and Hermione from finding out maybe they wouldn't have told McGonagall and she wouldn't have angered Umbridge. This wouldn't have happened.

"Professor!" He called. He wanted to apologise. Did… the Professor speed up? He lost sight of him around the corner once he came round. The headmaster was nowhere to be seen. Harry felt a pang strike his chest as he stopped, staring at the corridor.

If he hadn't gotten captured, Voldemort wouldn't have returned and none of this would have happened. He grabbed his hand, tracing the phantom pain from that first detention. Umbridge was right. He deserved to be punished.

oOoOoOo

It hurt to see that pained expression on his son's face. James reached to pull the boy into a hug and must have forgotten what he was because his dead heart almost seemed to skip in surprise as his hand went through the boy's shoulder. Harry looked so small just then, so vulnerable and alone.

" _Damn it!_ " He hissed and watched Harry cover his pain with indifference and follow his friends up to the Gryffindor common room.

oOoOoOo

Severus watched from one of the higher floors. He saw Potter's pathetic attempt to comfort his son but instead of pleasure at the bastard's pain, as he expected to feel, he felt guilt.

"Damn it." He too said and stormed down the corridor to his class. The full moon was getting closer and he needed to brew Lupin's Wolfbane potion. That should take his mind away from this madness he was currently living.


	11. Training

" _Voldemort is on the move." Sirius said gravely. Harry felt his pulse quicken and his heart threatened to deafen him._

" _What can we do?" Harry said. A creak somewhere behind Sirius._

" _Someone's coming. I'm sorry I can't be of more help… but for now, it seems like… you're on your own."_

 _On your own. How hauntingly familiar._

 _The hissing of a snake made him flinch. "Harry…" It whispered._

" _Harry…" That was his dad's voice._

" _Potter." Snape?_

oOoOoOo

Harry jumped awake, his heart racing in his chest as he tried to shake away the dream. He sat up and breathed deeply, trying to calm his heart down. He shuddered at the cold sweat that clung to his skin and got out of bed, sitting by the window ledge while his friends slept. He could feel the icy draft coming in from a corner of the ledge and savoured the numbness the cold brought with it.

Today was the day. The day Hermione's crazy idea began. How was he even supposed to teach a whole class Defense Against the Dark Arts? The handful of spells he knew could hardly make up a curriculum. It would give him a chance to practice what he _did_ know, he supposed. He sighed and grabbed his things to go to the showers. He had to try something. He couldn't stand feeling like a sitting duck.

oOoOoOo

"' _These disappearances are exactly how it started before'. Sirius probably scared him out of his wits! You have to do something Snape!"_

Severus rubbed his temples as a bottle of fire whiskey floated beside him and poured him a drink on the floating glass cup. He took it and downed it in one go. He grimaced and put the cup down.

"What the devil do you want me to do? He's _your_ moronic friend. The blithering idiot just can't stop seeing the boy as you." Severus sneered.

" _Don't be ridiculous… Sirius knows Harry's just a boy, I think it's good to keep him informed but not…_ that _way."_ Potter crossed his arms over his chest and sat on Severus' empty chair, staring at the flames in the fireplace, trying to think of a solution.

"You look like an absolute moron when you try to use that _minute_ brain of yours. How you passed auror training is anyone's guess. No doubt your dad being head auror helped with that." Severus scoffed, irritated once more.

" _Bugger off, Snape."_ Potter rolled his eyes at him and looked about to insult him some more when he froze, his eyes widening and looking at him in a way that made Severus squirm deep inside. Any plan by James Potter meant nothing good for Severus Snape since they first laid eyes on each other.

" _Umbridge, the minister, they don't want Harry trained in combat."_

"Yes you said that." Severus said, narrowing his eyes at James.

" _But Harry needs to know how to defend himself…"_ James said dismissively in a way that Severus just knew was a way to make his conclusion more dramatic.

"You and Miss Granger seem to be in agreement then." He said, not daring to look away from the suspicious looking pureblood.

" _You're trained in combat, surely, to be in Voldemort's inner circle and in Dumbledore's service."_ Ah, there it was.

"No. Absolutely not." Severus said and shot to his feet, storming away from the ghost.

" _Absolutely yes!"_ Potter followed.

"I am not training the boy as if he's some… _soldier_! He's only fifteen years old!" Severus snapped at Potter who looked conflicted but determined.

" _I know that. But you've seen how useless Dumbledore was in protecting him! What if Harry had reacted any slower! What if those Dementors had given him the kiss?"_ Potter made a very valid point and Severus crossed his arms over his chest, shaking his head. _"If it was anyone other than Dumbledore I'd say he was actually trying to get Harry killed!"_ The ghost protested and Severus shook his head.

"As if. Dumbledore would do anything to protect the boy. It was he that asked me to protect Harry." He said taking a deep breath. But all his training by his two mentors highlighted the many red flags that showed quite the opposite. "No! I cannot start doubting professor Dumbledore!" He insisted.

" _Of course not... I trusted him with our lives, didn't I?"_ James said, sounding convinced of the headmaster's honesty, but his words sent a chill down Severus' spine that he tried to ignore.

Train the boy? Could he do that? "Perhaps… it's not… a terrible idea." He sighed, unable to believe he was agreeing with James Potter on this. "Fine. I will train the boy to defend himself."

oOoOoOo

Harry looked around as he snuck back toward the tower after the second DA meeting. He was just about to turn the corner on the third floor corridor when a hand grabbed him by the arm and yanked him behind a column and into the shadows.

Panic coursed through his veins.

The clicking of Umbridge's heels on the stone echoed louder than his heart in his ears and he saw the malicious woman walk straight past, missing him by seconds. Harry looked up to see that Snape had been the one to save him.

"Thanks…" He said surprised.

"Very careless, Potter. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't give you a detention for being out after hours?" Snape demanded. Somehow it was hard for Harry to feel intimidated by the threat when the other had just saved him from Umbridge.

"I, uh, I…"

"Eloquent as always. Next time have a valid explanation. Wouldn't want Umbridge to discover any illegal gatherings occurring, would we?"

Harry couldn't help it. He looked at the potions master stunned. How the heck had they been discovered already? It didn't make sense!

"How did you know?" He finally managed to force out.

"I have my sources." Snape said and looked at him as if in deep thought, as if trying to analyse something deep in his soul and Harry looked away, knowing that whatever the other was analysing he'd find some fault in it. It was Harry after all. The Dursleys had spent ten years of his life convincing him of his inadequacy. Snape had only helped to reinforce those words ever since he started at Hogwarts. But something had changed this year. "I have a proposition for you, Potter." Harry looked back up.

"A proposition?"

"The Dark Lord is back, we know it. Leaving you without education in Defence would be ridiculous." Harry looked shocked that the other came to the same conclusion so close to Hermione having done so and narrowed his eyes. Was the potions master… spying on him? "I have years of experience training under professor Dumbledore and a handful being trained by the Dark Lord. Against my better judgement… I'm offering to train you."

Harry was so busy wondering how the other had managed to spy on them that he'd stopped paying attention. "Wait, what?" He said rather stupidly.

Snape gave him a light smack to the back of the head. "Pay attention. I am offering to train you in Defence, Potter."

Harry opened his mouth to argue his disbelief. This had to be a trap, a trap to get him in bigger trouble. No, that didn't make sense. Not after everything the other had done for him so far.

His memory went to second year, how Snape wiped the floor with Lockhart without breaking a sweat. In fact, he did so without even loosing his stance. Harry had never admitted it, but he remembered thinking that Snape had looked very cool on that day. He could get training to be able to at least defend himself if he needed to.

"Yes, I'll do it." Harry said, unable to keep the eagerness from his voice. "When do we start?" He was determined not to let Umbridge or the stupid ministry win in making him absolutely useless. Then, if he became good enough, he could convince the Order to let him join in the summer.

"Tomorrow night. After class. Try and keep yourself out of detention." He warned him.

"It's not like I _willingly_ try and get detentions." He argued. Snape began to glare at him and Harry huffed. "Yes, sir." He said, annoyance in his chest that he was put in a desperate enough situation to accept help from his most hated teacher. No matter how strange he was behaving this year.

Somehow he avoided detention. Somehow he got through Defence class without talking back to the horrid woman. He saw disappointment flicker in her face when she couldn't get a response out of him. The promise of training kept him docile the rest of the day.

As he entered the unused classroom Snape summoned him to, he looked around at the cleared out space. The tables and chairs were all lined up against the walls along with a couple of empty bookshelves. Everything looked like it had at least half a century of dust on it, except for the central area, which Snape probably had cleaned.

Speaking of Snape, he heard him muttering something to someone. Once more, there was no one with him when he walked in, but the potions master did quiet down. He turned to him and summoned Harry with a wave of his hand. A wand flick later and the door locked behind Harry.

"I have set protective wards around the room to block the sounds of spells from being overheard. Although we're not going to be using wands for a while." Snape said and came closer, closing a book he'd been browsing through.

"What are we going to do then?" Harry asked. Before Harry registered it, a fist was flying to his face. He closed his eyes and flinched, but the blow never reached him. Harry opened his eyes to see the fist having stopped half an inch from where his nose had been.

"We're going to fix your reflexes." Snape said simply and put his arm down. "That was a slow punch for me. It is something you should be able to avoid easily."

Slow? _That_ was slow? "I thought I had pretty fast reflexes from Quiditch." He said, embarrassed. After all he reacted very fast during matches.

"Combat and Quidditch are two very different things." Snape said. Once more his fist flew to Harry and Harry's heart jumped and be closed his eyes, covering his face but not really moving out of the way. He growled and opened his eyes to see Snape having stopped in front of him once more. "I'm trained enough to be able to successfully stop before I hit you. Though there could always be an accident. You should know that before we start." He said.

"Not like DeathEaters are going to stop if they attack me." Harry said stepping away from Snape anyway. "But they also won't use their fists when they can use their wands."

"A valid point. Take out your wand, Potter." Snape said.

Harry pulled his wand out on Snape. A quick flick of Snape's wand. His own wand flew out of his hand. Snape's wand was inches away from his chest. Harry's heart raced at the other's speed.

"What are you going to do now, Potter? You've been disarmed and your enemy is a metre in front of you."

"That's not fair, I wasn't ready." Harry exclaimed. Snape lowered his wand and nodded.

"Exactly." Harry looked at his discarded wand and went to pick it up.

"Well… what would _you_ do if you got disarmed?" He challenged. What would Snape do other than perhaps duck? Snape pondered his words and put his own wand down and stepped as far away from Harry as he would.

"I'm about three metres away from you. You're going to try and stun me before I get to you. Understood?" Harry nodded and gripped his wand tighter. Snape ran towards him and Harry aimed for him.

"Stupefy!" Snape jumped out of the way before the first syllable was spoken. In a speed Harry would never have imagined Snape having, he rolled towards him, knocked his legs from under him, physically yanked his wand out of his hands and pointed it at his chest.

Harry was vaguely aware of the bruise-like sensation on his behind from landing on it and the smug look of victory on Snape's face.

' _That… was wicked.'_ It was the only thought Harry could register in that moment.


End file.
